Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire from the Spanish Grand Prix after suffering a brake failure, having earlier clashed with Max Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton has said he does not know what the issue with his brakes were that forced him to retire from the Spanish Grand Prix. The British driver managed just seven laps before being forced off with an X-rated incident involving Max Verstappen taking place before then.
Early in the race at Madrid, the two championship contenders came perilously close to colliding at a corner, with Verstappen having to leave the track. Verstappen subsequently went in front but was told by Red Bull, via race control, to give the position back.
As it also involved letting Charles Leclerc ahead as well, Verstappen was far from happy. He said over the team radio: “Mate what the **** are you guys talking about? He would have shunted it. Like, what are you guys talking about? If I just stay on the track, I am out of the race.”
Hamilton did eventually reclaim the place but within a few laps was at the back. The Ferrari driver ultimately retired and has now spoken on exactly what happened with his brakes.
He said on Sky Sports: “It was already before that, in turn five. I hit the brake, the car started stopping and then the pedal took a step an, all of a sudden, the car didn’t decelerate as fast as it does normally.
“I ended up carrying a lot of speed in. And then, yeah, I brushed the barrier. Then it came back fine and then, a few corners later, the pedal went long. I don’t really know where it’s come from.”
As Hamilton admitted, the problems appeared before what looked to be the main reason for brake failure. He said over the team radio: “I think I’m having a brake failure, pedal is going long. Moments later, he added: “I don’t have brakes guys. “.
Hamilton initially pulled over on track but was instructed by his team to return to the pit lane to prevent a virtual safety car deployment that would have disadvantaged his Ferrari colleague Leclerc.
Lance Stroll’s on-track retirement triggered one of those being deployed, leaving leader Lando Norris unable to pit while others managed to switch tyres.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
A sluggish pit-stop a few laps later saw him drop to fourth place behind George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Leclerc.. Hamilton had qualified in that position for the race and made a strong start, but his fortunes quickly shifted following a near miss with Verstappen.
The four-time world champion believed he’d dodged any problems when he confirmed his left rear tyre was intact.. However, he soon began to slide down the rankings and swiftly found himself at the back of the pack, leading to his return to the Ferrari garage and subsequent retirement.
Commenting on his retirement, Sky Sports commentator David Croft said: “Before this race, Lewis Hamilton was the only driver to have completed every lap in sprint racing and Grand Prix in 2026..” “He has finished in the points in every race in 2026, and he’s into the pits, I’m afraid, I think to retire from this Spanish Grand Prix.”