Lewis Hamilton faces double punishment after blatantly ignoring Ferrari instructions

Lewis Hamilton faces a double punishment after blatantly ignoring Ferrari's instructions during final practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion's session came to an abrupt end when he crashed at the final corner on a hot lap, breaking his front wing and triggering an immediate red flag.

Why it matters:

The incident has derailed Hamilton's weekend before qualifying even begins. Missing the rest of FP3 leaves Ferrari without vital setup data and qualifying simulations, while his refusal to follow team orders could also bring further scrutiny from the stewards.

The details:

• Hamilton entered the final corner too hot and went straight into the barrier, breaking his front wing and triggering an immediate red flag.
• He reversed out of the barrier and attempted to bring his damaged SF-26 back to the garage, escaping suspension damage in the process.
• The broken front wing scraped along the track surface and became lodged under the front wheels, causing a puncture that forced him to stop.
• Ferrari instructed Hamilton to stop on multiple occasions, but the 41-year-old refused before eventually coming to a halt.

What's next:

Hamilton now misses the remainder of FP3 and any qualifying simulations, leaving Ferrari with limited running ahead of qualifying. He also faces a likely penalty for driving a damaged car — a costly start to the Spanish GP weekend for the Scuderia.