Breaking: Lewis Hamilton Faces Setback as he Suffer Huge C…read more
Hamilton’s Ferrari Dream Hits Trouble at Imola After Floor Damage in Final Practice
Lewis Hamilton’s eagerly awaited debut Italian race weekend as a Ferrari driver took an unfortunate turn during final practice at the 2025 Imola Grand Prix, dashing hopes of a smooth start to his new chapter with the Scuderia. Instead of making headlines for topping the timesheets, the seven-time world champion found himself struggling to break into the top ten, ultimately finishing the session in 10th place and reporting damage to his car.
Hamilton’s problems began when he ran wide coming out of Turn 18, Rivazza, one of the trickiest corners on the iconic Imola circuit. Over team radio, he confirmed to his engineers that he had sustained floor damage: “I have floor damage, I ran wide.” The impact of the excursion appeared to affect the car’s aerodynamic performance, especially in a session where many drivers already faced challenges with tyre behaviour and track conditions.
One of the key difficulties during FP3 was tyre performance. Teams found it surprisingly hard to extract pace from the soft compound tyres, with many drivers unable to improve on their times set on medium tyres. This was likely caused by two factors: Pirelli’s decision to reduce tyre pressures overnight and a notable drop in track temperatures, which combined to make the softs harder to get into the optimal performance window.
McLaren, on the other hand, looked to be in excellent form. After dominating Friday’s practice sessions, the team carried that momentum into Saturday. Lando Norris set the fastest lap of FP3 with a 1:14.897, narrowly beating teammate Oscar Piastri by just 0.100 seconds. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen slotted into third place, just 0.181 seconds behind Norris, suggesting a tight fight for pole position was on the horizon.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli put in an impressive performance to finish fourth, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was fifth. Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams, continued his strong form with a sixth-place finish, showcasing the team’s improved pace. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar claimed seventh, while George Russell (Mercedes), Alex Albon (Williams), and Hamilton rounded out the top ten.
There were fewer incidents compared to Friday’s red-flagged sessions, though Liam Lawson did have a dramatic moment. The Racing Bulls driver spun at high speed through Tamburello, damaging his tyres but managing to avoid the barriers, allowing the session to continue uninterrupted.
Elsewhere on the grid, Fernando Alonso finished 11th for Aston Martin, and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman was 12th. The rest of the field included a mix of veterans and newcomers, with Esteban Ocon ending the session at the bottom of the timesheets.
As Ferrari prepares for qualifying, Hamilton’s team faces the urgent task of assessing and mitigating the damage to his car. With McLaren and Red Bull setting the pace and Mercedes not far behind, Ferrari needs a quick turnaround if Hamilton is to mount a competitive challenge. The tifosi came to Imola hoping to witness a heroic debut from Hamilton—but so far, it’s proving to be a difficult start.
