BREAKING: HORROR BLOW FOR HAMILTON AS FERRARI STAR CRASHES INTO BARRIERS AND… See details

BREAKING: HORROR BLOW FOR HAMILTON AS FERRARI STAR CRASHES INTO BARRIERS AND RED FLAG STOPS F1 ACTION

 

Lewis Hamilton suffered a major setback at the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday after the seven-time world champion crashed his Ferrari during the final practice session at Madrid’s new Madring circuit.

 

The incident immediately sent shockwaves through the Ferrari camp and brought the session to a temporary halt, with race officials deploying the red flag while the barriers were repaired.

 

Hamilton had been showing competitive pace before the dramatic incident. The Ferrari driver was running fourth-fastest when he lost control at the final corner, locking up before hitting the barriers. The impact caused significant damage to the Ferrari and abruptly ended what had been a promising preparation session.

 

The situation became even more dramatic moments after the crash.

 

Ferrari reportedly instructed Hamilton to stop the car immediately. However, the British driver initially attempted to continue towards the pit lane despite the damage. His Ferrari eventually came to a stop with a broken front wing and a punctured front-right tyre.

 

The crash forced race control to suspend the session with approximately 15 minutes remaining, giving Ferrari an urgent race against time to assess the damage before qualifying.

 

For Hamilton, the timing could hardly have been worse.

 

Madrid’s Madring circuit is completely new to Formula 1 this weekend, meaning every minute of running is extremely valuable for drivers and teams attempting to understand the challenging layout. The circuit features fast sections, tight corners and walls that leave little room for mistakes.

 

That made Hamilton’s crash particularly costly.

 

Ferrari now faces the difficult task of repairing the car and ensuring it is ready for the next crucial session. With qualifying approaching, the team has limited time to inspect the damage and prepare Hamilton’s machine for what promises to be an intense battle for grid position.

 

The incident also adds another layer of pressure to Hamilton’s already demanding first season with Ferrari.

 

The seven-time champion currently sits third in the 2026 drivers’ championship with 191 points, while Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc is fifth with 155. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli leads the championship on 267 points.

 

Leclerc, meanwhile, provided Ferrari with some encouragement by setting the fastest time when Hamilton crashed. That performance underlines the potential of the Ferrari package around the new Madrid circuit, but Hamilton’s damaged car means the Scuderia now has to recover quickly.

 

The crash also comes only days after Ferrari endured a difficult Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Hamilton’s opening-lap battle with Leclerc became one of the major talking points of the weekend. The two drivers have since cleared the air, with Leclerc accepting responsibility for the incident.

 

Now, Ferrari has another problem to solve.

 

Hamilton’s FP3 crash does not mean he has crashed out of the Spanish Grand Prix itself. The incident happened during practice, with qualifying and the Grand Prix still ahead. But the damage and lost track time could make the remainder of the weekend considerably more difficult.

 

For Ferrari, the priority is simple: repair the car, understand exactly what happened and get Hamilton back on track.

 

For Hamilton, however, the pressure is enormous.

 

After the crash, every remaining session at the new Madring becomes increasingly important. With championship points at stake and Ferrari desperate to close the gap to Mercedes, Hamilton cannot afford another major setback.

 

The Spanish Grand Prix weekend has already delivered drama in Madrid.

 

And with Hamilton’s Ferrari now damaged after a heavy impact, the pressure on the seven-time world champion and his team has just gone through the roof.