Multiple contacts at the start
Lewis Hamilton often refers to Brazil as a second home, but this weekend, the Interlagos circuit—the very track where he won his first World Championship—was anything but kind. After a poor performance in both the Sprint Qualifying and the traditional Qualifying sessions, partially salvaged by a seventh-place finish in yesterday’s short race, the British driver faced an opening portion of the GP that quickly turned disastrous.
The Ferrari driver got off to a bad start, getting stuck in turn 1 and the following ‘S’ corners, and being hit by both Carlos Sainz’s Williams and Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull. Then, at the end of the first lap, just as the Safety Car was deployed due to Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber crash, Hamilton made a major error, colliding in a surprising manner with the Williams of Franco Colapinto ahead of him.
Penalty and retirement
The contact effectively destroyed Hamilton’s race. The front wing of his SF-25 was completely destroyed, the car’s floor was damaged, and midway through the race he was handed a five-second penalty for the incident. After serving the penalty, Lewis Hamilton parked his car in the garage and retired. The setback was made even more tense by his radio complaints regarding the stewards’ decision.
It was yet another disappointing performance in a season that continues to prove forgettable for the most successful driver in Formula 1 history. For Ferrari, the Brazil GP ended in a heavy double retirement, a result that will have significant consequences in the fight for second place in the Constructors’ Championship against Mercedes and Red Bull.
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