F1 DISASTER: After clumsy crash at Dutch Grand Prix Hamilton admits Ferrari Switc … read more
Hamilton admits Ferrari ‘twitchy’ after clumsy crash at Dutch Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating end to what had promised to be a competitive weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, crashing out in the early stages of the race after losing control of his Ferrari. The seven-time world champion, who entered Zandvoort with renewed energy following the summer break, admitted afterwards that the car still felt “twitchy” despite recent progress.
Hamilton, who has been working tirelessly to adapt to Ferrari since making his high-profile switch from Mercedes, had shown flashes of encouraging pace throughout practice and qualifying. During the opening laps of Sunday’s race, he found himself locked in the midfield battle, running in seventh place while teammate Charles Leclerc had advanced to fifth. Just as the race looked to be settling into a rhythm, Hamilton suffered a sudden snap of oversteer at Turn 3, sending his SF-25 sliding into the barriers. The impact was heavy enough to bring out the safety car and brought Hamilton’s Dutch GP to an early conclusion.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Hamilton reflected candidly on the incident. “I’m really not sure, I’ll have to look back at it,” he admitted. “When I went up the bank, the rear just snapped out and I couldn’t recover. It was a bit twitchy, the car, but I do think we made some real progress this weekend. My pace was looking decent, I was catching George [Russell]. I think I had the speed of a few cars ahead of me. It’s very unusual to not finish a race and to go out so early, so that’s disappointing.”
Despite the crash, Hamilton stressed that there were reasons for optimism. He explained that Ferrari’s development direction had provided him with a car that felt more competitive, particularly in qualifying trim. At Zandvoort, his lap times were much closer to Leclerc’s than in previous rounds, something he sees as a key step toward achieving his first podium finish for the Scuderia. With multiple safety cars later shaping the Dutch GP, Hamilton suggested he could have been in contention for his best result of the season had his race not ended prematurely.
The 39-year-old Brit will now turn his attention to Monza, Ferrari’s home race, where the support of the passionate tifosi will be in full force. “I always love racing at Monza, and I know how much it means to the fans,” Hamilton said. “We’ll regroup and go again there.”
Ferrari’s woes at Zandvoort were compounded when Charles Leclerc also failed to finish. The Monegasque driver was taken out of contention following a dramatic incident involving Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli. Attempting an ambitious move, Antonelli misjudged his attack on Leclerc, resulting in contact that ended the Ferrari’s race.
Leclerc, visibly dejected, initially chose not to return to the team garage, instead watching the remainder of the race from a sand dune overlooking the circuit. Afterwards, he gave his perspective on the collision. “Kimi’s incident is the way it is — mistakes happen on a track like this,” Leclerc explained. “You’ve got to be incisive and aggressive to make a pass, and that’s what I’ve done as well against George [Russell]. That’s what Kimi tried to do on myself, but he probably misjudged it. It ruined my race, so it’s a shame, but it is the way it is.”
The double retirement was a bitter blow for Ferrari, who had looked capable of strong points in Zandvoort. However, both Hamilton and Leclerc remain upbeat about the team’s overall progress, pointing to improvements in balance and race pace. With Monza just around the corner, Ferrari will be determined to bounce back on home soil and give their loyal fans something to cheer about.
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