Lewis Hamilton CRASH sparks late red fl....read more

Lewis Hamilton CRASH sparks late red fl….read more

Lewis Hamilton was involved in a dramatic incident during the first free practice (FP1) session of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, which led to a red flag being waved in the closing stages of the session. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, who is in his first season with Ferrari, lost control of his car at Turn Three while making his way up the narrow, twisting streets of the Monte Carlo circuit. The result was a high-impact collision with the barriers that caused significant damage to the right side of his car.

The crash occurred as Hamilton was accelerating uphill through one of the trickier and more iconic sections of the Monaco street circuit. He suffered a sudden bout of oversteer, a situation in which the rear of the car loses traction and begins to slide outward. Despite his efforts to regain control, Hamilton was unable to correct the slide in time and his car veered into the wall, striking it with considerable force. The incident brought an abrupt halt to the session, with race officials quickly deploying the red flag as a safety precaution and to allow marshals to clear the damaged car from the track.

Hamilton’s Ferrari was visibly damaged on the right-hand side, with the front suspension, bodywork, and potentially the gearbox or rear structure all potentially impacted by the force of the crash. As the car was recovered and taken back to the Ferrari garage, the team’s mechanics were immediately seen assessing the damage and preparing for what could be a substantial repair job. With the qualifying session scheduled for later the same day, the pressure is now on the Ferrari crew to complete the necessary repairs and get the car back in working condition in time.

The timing of the incident was particularly unfortunate for Hamilton and the team. FP1 is a crucial session in Monaco, where track time is essential for dialing in car setup and building driver confidence on a notoriously tight and unforgiving circuit. With overtaking extremely difficult on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, qualifying takes on even greater importance than at most other venues on the F1 calendar. Losing valuable track time and data will be a significant setback for Hamilton as he looks to establish a competitive starting position for Sunday’s race.

Hamilton had been pushing hard throughout the session as he sought to find the limit in his Ferrari, which has shown signs of being competitive in recent races. However, the crash may disrupt the team’s momentum and could compromise his chances of a strong result in both qualifying and the Grand Prix itself. Meanwhile, Ferrari engineers and strategists will be working around the clock to ensure that the car is safe and fully operational ahead of the crucial qualifying hour.

The red flag brought an early end to FP1, with several other drivers having to cut their sessions short due to the delay. As a result, teams and drivers may head into FP2 with less data than they would have hoped, adding an extra layer of challenge to what is already one of the most complex and demanding weekends on the F1 calendar. All eyes will now be on Hamilton and the Ferrari garage to see if the car can be repaired in time, and whether the British driver can bounce back from this setback.