Lewis Hamilton faced another setback at the Dutch Grand Prix, crashing out of a potential podium finish in his Ferrari. Experts are now scrutinizing his performance, highlighting an unusual error for the seven-time world champion.
Why it matters
Hamilton's incident at Zandvoort marks his second consecutive race with zero points, a rare occurrence. This crash, combined with a recent grid penalty for Monza, fuels growing concerns about his form in his debut Ferrari season and raises questions about his comfort with the SF-25.
The details
- The crash: Hamilton lost control of his SF-25 on lap 24 while braking for Turn 3 in damp conditions, sliding off the racing line onto a wet painted surface and hitting the barrier. He immediately apologized over team radio.
- Expert reactions:
- Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer called it "a strange mistake," noting that wet conditions are historically Hamilton's forte. "He just doesn't seem comfortable in the car and in the situation he's in."
- David Coulthard agreed, calling it "the uncomfortable truth" about Hamilton, observing he was "so late into the corner that he had no grip left."
- Sky expert Karun Chandhok also found the departure "unusual," despite acknowledging the slipperiness of the painted surface, as other drivers navigated it successfully.
- Hamilton's response: The Mercedes driver admitted he couldn't explain the error and needed to analyze it with his engineers.
- Mounting pressure: This incident adds to the scrutiny of his Ferrari debut season. He also received a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Monza race, an unusual error for him, after speeding in the pit lane pre-Zandvoort.
What's next
Hamilton and Ferrari face a critical period, with increasing pressure to understand and rectify these issues before the next races, especially with the home race in Monza approaching under a cloud of a grid penalty.