SHOCKING MOMENT: Lewis Hamilton Crashes at Spanish GP as Ferrari Suffers Ma… See Details

SHOCKING MOMENT: Lewis Hamilton Crashes at Spanish GP as Ferrari Suffers Ma… See Details

Lewis Hamilton’s preparations for the Spanish Grand Prix suffered a major setback on Saturday after the Ferrari driver crashed during the final practice session, forcing the FIA to bring out the red flag and temporarily halt running.

The seven-time world champion was halfway through the session when he lost control of his Ferrari at the El Parque section of the circuit. Hamilton ran wide and went straight off the track before making contact with the barriers, damaging the front wing of his Ferrari.

Although the impact was significant enough to break the front wing, Hamilton was fortunate to avoid a more serious accident. The angle at which the Ferrari struck the barrier allowed him to reverse the car and get back onto the circuit.

However, the damaged front wing became lodged underneath the Ferrari, creating an obvious concern for both Hamilton and his team. His race engineer, Carlo Santi, quickly instructed the British driver to bring the car to a stop rather than continue driving with the damaged bodywork.

Hamilton, however, appeared determined to try to make it back to the pit lane. Despite being warned over the team radio, he continued driving slowly around the circuit in an effort to return to the Ferrari garage.

Hamilton ignores initial instruction to stop

Santi repeatedly asked Hamilton to stop the car, with the Ferrari engineer telling him to pull over twice. Hamilton responded that the car was still moving and appeared confident that he could continue towards the pits.

“The car is going,” Hamilton told his engineer as he attempted to keep the Ferrari moving.

The exchange continued as Ferrari tried to convince Hamilton that stopping the car in a safe location was the best option. Santi once again instructed the seven-time world champion to stop, emphasizing that he should find the safest possible place to do so.

Hamilton remained reluctant to abandon the attempt to return to the pits. He explained that he would continue towards the garage if the car was capable of making it that far.

“If I can make it back I will. If I can’t, I will do it safely,” Hamilton replied.

The situation became more concerning when Santi informed Hamilton that the Ferrari had suffered a puncture. Hamilton acknowledged the information, indicating that he was already aware that the car had sustained further damage during the incident.

Eventually, Hamilton was unable to continue his attempt to reach the pits and stopped the Ferrari trackside.

Red flag interrupts Spanish GP preparations

The incident resulted in the session being stopped under red-flag conditions, preventing the other drivers from continuing their final practice runs while marshals dealt with Hamilton’s stricken Ferrari.

The crash was an unwanted development for Hamilton and Ferrari as the team looked to complete its final preparations ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Final practice is particularly important because teams use the session to make their last adjustments to car balance, tyre performance and race setup before qualifying. Hamilton’s crash therefore cost him valuable track time at a crucial stage of the weekend.

Ferrari will now face a race against time to inspect Hamilton’s car, repair the damage and determine whether any other components were affected by the impact.

For Hamilton, the incident adds further pressure to what had already been a crucial Spanish Grand Prix weekend. The Ferrari driver will be hoping the damage is limited and that he can recover quickly before qualifying.

With the championship battle continuing to intensify, Hamilton will be desperate to put the practice crash behind him and deliver a strong performance when it matters most.