Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable run of scoring points at every race of the 2026 Formula 1 season ended abruptly in Madrid, where a brake failure forced Ferrari to retire his SF-26 after only seven laps. The Spanish Grand Prix zero-score not only ended the longest points-finishing streak of the season but also left the seven-time world champion 101 points behind Kimi Antonelli in an increasingly difficult title fight.
Hamilton had finished inside the top 10 at each of the first 13 rounds, making consistency one of the strongest features of his Ferrari campaign. That sequence disappeared when an intermittent braking problem developed at Madring, first sending him into the barrier at Turn 5 before returning again badly enough for the team to conclude that continuing was unsafe.
Lewis Hamilton’s 13-race points streak ends in Madrid
The problem first appeared as Hamilton approached Turn 5. He later explained that the Ferrari initially began slowing normally when he pressed the brake pedal, only for the pedal to suddenly take another step and leave the car unable to decelerate as expected.
That loss of braking performance sent him wide and resulted in light contact with the barrier. Hamilton felt the impact itself was not particularly severe, and the pedal subsequently returned to normal for several corners, allowing him to continue.
The fault was not gone, however. When the brake pedal went long again, Ferrari attempted to address the intermittent problem through settings changes communicated from the pit wall. Those efforts did not provide a sufficiently reliable solution, and the team eventually instructed Hamilton to retire on safety grounds.
The circumstances surrounding the failure and Ferrari’s subsequent technical work can be followed in ScuderiaFans’ report on the investigation into Lewis Hamilton’s Madrid brake problem.
Ferrari refused to take a safety risk with Hamilton’s SF-26
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur explained in the immediate aftermath that the team did not yet know the exact cause of the failure and had launched a detailed investigation. No specific component had been identified publicly at that stage.
Vasseur also made clear that Ferrari saw no justification for keeping Hamilton on track with an unreliable braking system, particularly in what he described as a chaotic race. The priority was to avoid taking an unnecessary risk once the fault had returned.
Hamilton’s retirement was therefore his first non-scoring Grand Prix of the year, ending a sequence that had survived every previous round of the season. With his run over, Lando Norris now owns the longest active points-scoring streak on the grid, having finished in the points at the previous eight Grands Prix.
The broader developments surrounding the Briton’s first Ferrari season can be followed through the dedicated Lewis Hamilton section.
Hamilton’s title deficit to Kimi Antonelli reaches 101 points
The sporting cost of the retirement extends well beyond the lost streak. Hamilton remains third in the Drivers’ Championship on 191 points but is now 101 behind Mercedes leader Kimi Antonelli, with nine rounds remaining according to the current championship picture.
George Russell is also ahead of Hamilton on 211 points, placing a second Mercedes driver between the Ferrari man and the championship leader. That means any realistic recovery would require Hamilton not only to close rapidly on Antonelli but also to outperform Russell consistently across the remaining races.
The scale of the challenge can be placed in context through the current Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings.
Even a perfect sequence of results from Hamilton would leave the outcome dependent on Antonelli suffering a dramatic reversal in form. Madrid has therefore pushed an already difficult championship situation much closer to becoming effectively irrecoverable.
Madrid retirement delivers perhaps the final blow to Hamilton’s 2026 title bid
Until the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton’s ability to keep scoring had prevented his championship challenge from collapsing completely. Thirteen consecutive points finishes gave Ferrari a dependable return even on weekends when victory was out of reach.
The first zero of his season changes that calculation substantially. The retirement leaves Hamilton needing to make up more than 11 points per round on Antonelli across nine remaining events simply to erase the current deficit, while Russell’s presence ahead of him adds another competitive obstacle.
For Ferrari, the immediate priority is ensuring the braking problem does not become a recurring reliability concern. For Hamilton, the sporting equation is considerably harsher: consistency alone will no longer be enough if he is to remain mathematically relevant in the championship battle.
Baku becomes Hamilton’s first chance to respond
The next opportunity comes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the Baku City Circuit, where practice is scheduled to begin on 24 September. After leaving Madrid without points for the first time in 2026, Hamilton heads into the weekend needing both a clean Ferrari and a significant result to begin reducing the championship deficit.
Full session information for the next round is available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
The Madrid retirement brought two damaging consequences together in a single afternoon: it ended the strongest active scoring streak of the season and widened Hamilton’s gap to Antonelli to 101 points. What had been an impressive record of consistency has therefore given way to a far more urgent question — whether there is still enough time left in 2026 for Hamilton to keep his eighth-title ambitions alive.
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