Lewis Hamilton retires from São Paulo GP after early collision
Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire from the São Paulo Grand Prix following a lap-one collision that left his Ferrari damaged, reports BritPanorama.
The British driver pitted for a new front wing after a tangle at the first corner with Carlos Sainz, and subsequently ran into the back of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto on the main straight, resulting in further damage.
Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for the incident with Colapinto, though stewards confirmed no additional action would be taken regarding the collision with Sainz.
Despite the early pit stop and penalty, Hamilton managed to continue until lap 40 before retiring the car. He dropped five places off the start despite being on soft tires. Radio communications revealed his frustrations, stating, “Mate, I’m going to crash out here. I’ll keep trying. The car is crazy unstable.”
Teammate Charles Leclerc also exited the race early due to a broken suspension following a collision involving Oscar Piastri and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton’s struggles persisted throughout the weekend at Interlagos. After a disappointing qualifying session, he shared his low expectations for the race, saying, “I’m not expecting anything to be honest, but we’ll see what happens, it’s another write-off weekend I guess.”
Following his collision, Hamilton voiced his frustration with race officials over the penalty, labelling them “a complete joke.” Meanwhile, Lando Norris moved closer to securing the championship title, winning the São Paulo Grand Prix by a margin of 10.3 seconds over Kimi Antonelli, with Max Verstappen finishing third after starting from a low position.
Norris now leads Oscar Piastri by 24 points in the championship standings, while Verstappen is 49 points adrift, with only 83 points remaining across the last three events of the season.
Amid the chaos, George Russell managed to maintain his position to finish fourth. Norris, reflecting on his strong performance, attributed it to focusing on his own capabilities and ignoring external criticisms, demonstrating growth in managing pressure as a leading competitor.
The day’s events serve as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of racing, where initial missteps can reverberate throughout the competition, intensifying the chase for the championship.
