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April 8, 2025 — Lewis Hamilton’s first crash in Ferrari red turned into a tense standoff with his own pit wall. The seven-time world champion lost control of his SF-25 under braking at the final corner of the Madrid circuit during FP3, slamming into the tyre barrier. But what happened after the impact drew more attention than the accident itself.
Hamilton reversed out of the wall and kept driving, despite three urgent calls from race engineer Carlo Santi to park the car. The front wing was lodged under the right-side floor, sparks flying, as Hamilton insisted on trying to complete a lap back to the pits.
“Stop the car,” Santi said over the radio. “Stop in the safest place possible.”
Hamilton replied: “If I can make it back I will, and if I can’t I will stop safely.”
Santi warned of a front puncture. Hamilton acknowledged but continued. Only after covering roughly two-thirds of the circuit did he finally pull over and step out. The car was recovered by a flat‑bed truck.
Why Hamilton ignored the order – an insider view
A source close to the Ferrari garage told F1 Insider that Hamilton believed returning to the pits would allow the team to retrieve critical data from the damaged car before the hard shutdown – an unusual move that carries risk of further chassis damage. “Lewis was thinking about the team getting as much information as possible,” the source said. “But from a safety standpoint, the protocol is clear: stop the car. It’s a debate that could have been avoided.”
The incident marks the first time Hamilton has openly defied a Ferrari instruction since joining the Scuderia this season. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur declined to comment on potential repercussions, but said the priority is repairing the car for qualifying.
Session chaos continues with Bearman crash
The restart after the red flag was short‑lived. Ollie Bearman, driving the Haas, spun at Turn 10 and hit the barriers hard, heavily damaging the left side of his car. Bearman was uninjured, but his mechanics face a race against time to prepare the VF‑25 for qualifying at 4 p.m. local time (3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET).
Championship leader Antonelli tops times
Kimi Antonelli ended FP3 fastest for Mercedes, 0.166 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris placed third and fourth for McLaren, with Max Verstappen fifth and George Russell sixth, seven tenths off Antonelli’s pace.
Hamilton was on course for the session’s fastest lap before his crash. With the car now damaged and limited running possible, Ferrari must decide whether to fit a new gearbox – which would incur a grid penalty – or risk running the repaired but potentially compromised unit.
The dramatic morning has shifted focus from on‑track performance to internal discipline at Ferrari. Fans and pundits are already debating whether Hamilton’s maverick attitude will clash with the team’s structured approach. For now, all eyes turn to qualifying, where the seven‑time champion’s starting position hangs in the balance.
