Lewis Hamilton’s unexpected crash during the Monaco Grand Prix practice raised eyebrows.
- Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon were noted by Race Control as potentially involved, but absolved of fault.
- Hamilton’s attempt to match teammate Charles Leclerc’s speed ended with his Ferrari against the barriers.
- Analysts suggest loss of downforce from nearby cars contributed to Hamilton’s mishap.
- Ferrari faces a tight deadline to fix Hamilton’s car ahead of qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton, in a surprising twist during the final practice at the Monaco Grand Prix, found himself in a bit of a scrape with the track barriers. While trying to catch up with his teammate Charles Leclerc, who had just clocked the fastest time, Hamilton lost control of his car at Massenet, leading to a collision with the barriers. He admitted over the radio, “Guys, I hit the wall. Damn… Sorry guys.”
Race Control briefly considered the roles of Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon in the incident, as their cars were ahead of Hamilton at that critical moment. However, no action was deemed necessary against them, underscoring that the crash was just an “unusual” mishap for Hamilton, as noted by former driver and commentator Jenson Button.
Analysis by Button and his colleague Karun Chandhok suggested that Hamilton’s crash resulted from a combination of factors. Hamilton, while on a tighter line than usual, experienced a sudden loss of downforce, possibly exacerbated by the aerodynamic wake from Antonelli’s and Ocon’s cars. Chandhok observed that Hamilton took a slightly wider line into Massenet than usual, contributing to a snap of oversteer that led to the crash.
This analysis points to the fine margins of error in Formula 1 racing, where even a minor deviation can result in significant consequences. Adding to the challenge, the tight street circuit of Monaco leaves little room for recovery once a mistake is made, as the walls are unforgiving.
With Hamilton’s Ferrari needing extensive repairs, the team is under pressure to get the car back in shape before the qualifying rounds. This requires a potential gearbox change and a race against the clock to ensure Hamilton can compete at his best.
The Monaco mishap serves as a stark reminder of the razor-thin margins in F1 racing.
