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Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barrier during Free Practice 3 for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, with his front left wheel locking up as he approached turn 22, damaging his Ferrari’s front wing and forcing the team to issue immediate instructions over the radio to protect the car ahead of qualifying and the race.
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Despite Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi ordering Hamilton to find a safe place on the track to stop the car, the 41-year-old initially defied the instruction and continued driving, completing almost two-thirds of the remaining lap before finally coming to a stop after being told the race director had intervened.
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The session was ultimately red-flagged so barriers could be repaired, with Hamilton’s crash coming at a particularly inconvenient time given the historic nature of the weekend, as Madring hosts the Spanish Grand Prix for the very first time, with pole position and a race win on Sunday both carrying historic significance.
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The incident adds further pressure to Hamilton’s already difficult championship campaign, with the Briton sitting 76 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli following a difficult Italian Grand Prix last weekend, where a first-lap collision with teammate Charles Leclerc dropped him down the order before he recovered to finish sixth.
September 12, (THEWILL) – Lewis Hamilton’s weekend at Formula 1’s newest venue got off to a dramatic start on Saturday, with the Ferrari driver crashing into the barrier during Free Practice 3 for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, before defying his own team’s instructions in the immediate aftermath.
The incident occurred with around 37 minutes remaining in the session, as Hamilton made his way toward turn 22 during a late practice run.
His front left wheel locked up as he attempted to navigate the corner, sending the 41-year-old straight into the barrier.
Hamilton was able to free the car and continue moving, but having already passed the pit lane entry point, he faced completing almost another full lap before he could get the damaged Ferrari back to his garage.
The crash had left the car in a concerning state, with the front wing appearing to take the brunt of the impact and becoming lodged beneath the body of the car as Hamilton continued driving. That prompted Ferrari to intervene immediately over team radio, with race engineer Carlo Santi instructing Hamilton to find a safe location on the circuit and stop the car altogether, rather than risk further damage by attempting to nurse it back to the pits.
Hamilton, however, wasn’t initially willing to give up on the car so easily. According to team radio captured during the incident, Hamilton could be heard telling his team “the car is going,” seemingly confident he could complete the lap and return to the garage under his own power.
Santi responded by explaining the severity of the damage, telling Hamilton, “We have the wing under the wheels. Stop in the safest place possible.”
Despite the clear instruction, Hamilton continued driving, covering almost two-thirds of the remaining track before finally coming to a stop, only relenting once Santi informed him that the request to stop had escalated beyond the team itself, with the race director now directly ordering him to pull over for safety reasons.
With Hamilton’s car finally stationary, the session was red-flagged so barriers damaged in the initial crash could be repaired before running could resume.
The timing of the incident is particularly unwelcome given the significance of the weekend.
Madring is hosting the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time in the sport’s history, meaning both pole position in Saturday’s qualifying and victory in Sunday’s race carry a genuine sense of history for whichever driver manages to claim them.
For Hamilton, any lingering damage to his Ferrari now threatens to complicate his preparations just as the opportunity to make history at a brand-new circuit presents itself.
The crash also arrives at a difficult moment in Hamilton’s ongoing pursuit of the drivers’ championship. The Briton currently sits 76 points adrift of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, a gap that leaves little room for further setbacks with the season now edging closer to its conclusion.
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Hamilton’s difficulties were compounded further by a troubled Italian Grand Prix last time out, where an early collision with teammate Charles Leclerc at turn two sent him onto the gravel and down the order. He recovered impressively to finish sixth on that occasion, but with Antonelli winning that race outright, the result did little to help close the gap at the top of the standings.
With qualifying now looming and the full extent of the damage to his Ferrari still being assessed, Hamilton will be hoping this latest incident proves to be a minor setback rather than a defining moment in an increasingly difficult title challenge.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
