Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc failed to finish the São Paulo Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion retired after an early collision, while his teammate was disastrously knocked out of the race by Kimi Antonelli. This marked the second double DNF of the season for Ferrari. During the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, both drivers also failed to cross the finish line. A defeated Hamilton apologized to his team afterwards, while Leclerc expressed his frustrations.
Lewis Hamilton started from the thirteenth position after a disappointing qualifying round. However, his race was disrupted early on by a collision with Franco Colapinto on the straight. The Brit broke the front wing of his Ferrari and had to pit multiple times for a new nose and fresh tires. Eventually, he was forced to prematurely abandon the race. “After that collision, I thought the rear suspension was broken,” a distraught Hamilton responded. “I tried to keep up with the guys in front of me, but I didn’t stand a chance.”
A ‘Deadly Sin’
“This is definitely a weekend to forget quickly,” the Ferrari driver continued. “It’s a shame, because I love Brazil. To end up empty-handed, to not finish the race for the second time this year, is truly terrible. I sympathize with the team – everyone is doing their utmost every week. I apologize for my part in the qualification; in the end, I put myself in this position. Tomorrow we’ll get up and try again.”
Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, had little understanding for the incident with Antonelli. Oscar Piastri received a ten-second time penalty, but according to the Monegasque, both were to blame. “Of course we have rules and the stewards have to adhere to them,” he began. “But in this case, I think Kimi (Antonelli) knew that Piastri was on the inside. Regardless of whether you’re racing side by side, you can’t take the turn if someone is there. For me, it was actually fifty-fifty – both Piastri and Antonelli were at fault. Either way, my race was over there,” he concluded frustratedly. “I definitely had a view of the podium today, so this is just a deadly sin.”
