Just In: Lewis Hamilton Suffers Late Drama After Ferrari Issues Threaten Sp…read more
Lewis Hamilton Suffers Late Drama After Ferrari Issues Threaten Sp…read more
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton endured late drama in Friday’s practice sessions ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, as unexpected technical issues emerged just as Ferrari threatened to shake up the front of the grid.
The Mercedes driver had shown promising pace throughout the early stages of FP2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, sitting near the top of the timesheets and looking poised to challenge for a strong qualifying result. However, in the final minutes of the session, Hamilton was forced to return to the garage with what Mercedes later described as a “power unit anomaly.”
“Something didn’t feel right with the car,” Hamilton reported over team radio. “It just dropped off suddenly.”
Engineers were seen swarming the rear of the car as practice ended, with the team facing a race against time to investigate and potentially replace components before Saturday’s qualifying.
Meanwhile, Ferrari had its own share of headaches. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz reported balance issues and struggled for grip, despite early expectations of a strong showing on a track that traditionally suits the Scuderia’s aero-efficient package.
Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, admitted the team was “not where we expected to be” and hinted that setup changes overnight could be necessary to regain competitiveness.
The late-session drama adds yet another twist to what is shaping up to be a highly unpredictable Spanish Grand Prix weekend. With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also struggling to find rhythm in FP2, the door could be open for a surprise contender — provided reliability and setup issues don’t derail the usual front-runners.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 16:00 local time, with weather conditions expected to remain dry but breezy.
Stay tuned for more updates as teams scramble to regroup before the decisive sessions begin.
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