Ferrari Explains Hamilton's Time Loss During 'No Man's...read more

Ferrari Explains Hamilton’s Time Loss During ‘No Man’s Land’ Phase of Monaco GP

Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco Grand Prix was marred by a series of setbacks that left him isolated on track, a situation Ferrari has since addressed.

During the final practice session (FP3), Hamilton suffered a high-speed crash at Massanet, forcing a red flag and leaving Ferrari scrambling to repair his car before qualifying. The seven-time world champion was uninjured and exited the car safely. The crash occurred when Hamilton encountered slow-moving traffic, forcing him to swerve into the barriers.

Despite qualifying fourth, Hamilton received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during qualifying. Although Hamilton originally qualified fourth, race stewards penalized him after reviewing the incident. The team incorrectly informed Hamilton that Verstappen was slowing, leading to Hamilton inadvertently obstructing Verstappen.

The combination of the crash and the penalty placed Hamilton in a challenging position for the race. Ferrari’s strategic decisions during the race further compounded the issue, leaving Hamilton in ‘no man’s land’—a term used to describe his isolated position on the track without the opportunity to engage in battles or benefit from slipstreams.

Ferrari has acknowledged the strategic missteps that contributed to Hamilton’s time loss. The team has committed to a thorough analysis to understand and rectify the errors that led to the suboptimal race outcome.

As the season progresses, Ferrari aims to refine their strategies to better support both drivers and maximize their performance in upcoming races.