Just In: Lewis Hamilton rushed back into action by Ferrari after Spanish Grand…Read more

Just In: Lewis Hamilton rushed back into action by Ferrari after Spanish Grand Prix disaster

Lewis Hamilton has wasted little time returning to the cockpit after his disappointing Spanish Grand Prix retirement, with Ferrari putting the seven-time Formula 1 world champion back into action less than 48 hours after his race-ending disaster in Madrid.

Hamilton was back on track at Imola on Tuesday as Ferrari participated in a Pirelli tyre test designed to help develop tyres for the 2027 Formula 1 season. The unexpected quick return provides the British driver with an immediate opportunity to put the frustration of the Spanish Grand Prix behind him and refocus on the remainder of the campaign.

The Spanish Grand Prix had started with genuine promise for Hamilton. Despite crashing heavily during final practice, he recovered impressively enough to qualify fourth at the new Madring circuit. At one stage during qualifying, Hamilton had even looked capable of securing pole position, underlining the pace available from his Ferrari SF-26.

However, Sunday’s race quickly turned into another major disappointment.

Hamilton made a strong start and briefly found himself in a competitive position, but a serious brake problem soon emerged. The seven-time champion reported difficulties with the braking system in the opening laps, and the problem became severe enough for Ferrari to bring him into the pits and retire the car on Lap 7.

Hamilton later explained that the Ferrari had appeared capable of fighting for victory, making the early retirement even more painful. The incident also ended his remarkable run of completing every racing lap of the 2026 season before Madrid and brought an end to his record of scoring points at every race up to that weekend.

Ferrari has since confirmed that it will conduct a thorough investigation into the brake failure. Team principal Fred Vasseur has made clear that the team needs to establish exactly what caused the problem, particularly because Hamilton had been enjoying strong pace before the failure occurred.

The timing of Hamilton’s return to the track is therefore particularly interesting. Rather than waiting for the next Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari has immediately placed him in the SF-26 for Pirelli’s development programme at Imola. Hamilton took part in the morning session, while his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc was scheduled to take over the car during the afternoon.

The test is not a conventional Grand Prix preparation session, and Hamilton’s running should not be interpreted as a direct attempt to solve the specific brake failure that ended his Spanish race. Instead, the Pirelli programme is focused on gathering data for the next generation of Formula 1 tyres.

Nevertheless, the timing gives Hamilton valuable time in the car after a difficult weekend and allows Ferrari to continue working with its driver and machinery away from the intense pressure of a race weekend.

The Spanish Grand Prix also dealt a severe blow to Hamilton’s championship ambitions. Kimi Antonelli converted another strong Mercedes weekend into his eighth victory of the season and extended his advantage over Hamilton to 101 points with nine races remaining. Hamilton himself admitted after the race that Antonelli and Mercedes currently appear extremely difficult to stop.

For Ferrari, the bigger challenge now is to ensure that Hamilton’s season does not continue to unravel through avoidable reliability and performance problems. Charles Leclerc salvaged fourth place in Madrid, but Ferrari again failed to turn competitive pace into the result the team wanted.

Hamilton’s immediate return to action therefore carries more significance than simply completing a tyre test. After a weekend in which his title hopes effectively disappeared and a mechanical failure ended his race almost immediately, the veteran driver now has an opportunity to rebuild momentum.

With Ferrari investigating the brake failure and Hamilton already back behind the wheel, the focus will now turn to whether the Scuderia can convert its promising pace into consistent results during the remaining races of the 2026 season.

For Hamilton, the championship may have slipped beyond reach, but there is still plenty to fight for. The Imola test offers his first chance to put Madrid firmly behind him and begin preparing for the battles that remain.