Hamilton's unseen gesture to Colapinto revealed after Miami GP clash

Untelevised footage from the Miami Grand Prix has revealed Lewis Hamilton making an obscene gesture towards Alpine's Franco Colapinto following their first-lap collision. The contact damaged Hamilton's Ferrari, costing him significant performance and leaving him to finish a frustrated sixth, just one place ahead of Colapinto in seventh. The incident overshadowed what was otherwise Colapinto's strongest weekend in Formula 1 to date.

Why it matters:

The gesture highlights the intense, immediate frustration drivers experience when an early race incident compromises their entire Grand Prix. For Hamilton, the damage from the Lap 1 contact effectively ended any chance of fighting at the front, turning a promising weekend into a salvage operation. It also underscores the high stakes for drivers like Colapinto, who are fighting to prove themselves and score crucial points for their midfield team.

The details:

• The collision occurred at Turn 11 on the opening lap, moments after Hamilton took evasive action to avoid Max Verstappen's spinning car.
• Unseen by the main broadcast, footage shows Hamilton raising his middle finger at Colapinto as he overtook the Alpine on a straight later in the race.
• Hamilton estimated the damage cost him approximately half a second per lap in lost downforce, leaving him in "no-man's land" for the remainder of the event.
• Despite the damage, Hamilton managed to finish sixth, directly ahead of Colapinto, who was promoted to seventh after a post-race penalty for Charles Leclerc.
• Hamilton expressed confidence that, without the damage, his Ferrari had the pace to fight for victory, calling it a "weekend to forget" that didn't reflect the team's hard work.

What's next:

Both drivers will look to move on from the Miami incident as the calendar moves to Canada.

• Hamilton and Ferrari will aim to convert their underlying pace into a clean, competitive weekend in Montreal, seeking to make amends for the lost points in Florida.
• Colapinto and Alpine will carry the momentum from his "most perfect weekend" in F1, where new upgrades helped him find a better rhythm, with hopes of continuing their points-scoring form.
• The incident serves as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change on the opening lap, putting a premium on clean starts and racecraft in the tightly packed midfield.