Lewis Hamilton expressed his surprise at crashing out of a race, deeming it an unusual occurrence for him. The Ferrari driver lost control of his car during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, sliding off the track’s banked third corner after rain had fallen. The incident caused him to veer onto a painted section and collide with the barrier, resulting in the front-right wheel snapping off.
While speaking to Sky Sports during the ongoing race, Hamilton refrained from attributing a definitive cause to the crash, mentioning that he needed to review the incident. Despite the setback, he acknowledged the positive performance of his car up to that point, contrasting his current seventh-place position with his prior 12th-place finish in Budapest.
Hamilton noted that his car felt slightly unstable but highlighted the progress made over the weekend, expressing satisfaction with the pace and his ability to challenge his competitors. However, he acknowledged the disappointment of not finishing the race and exiting early, accepting the situation for what it was.
The timing of Hamilton’s crash posed challenges for his teammate Charles Leclerc, who had just made a pit stop for fresh tires when the incident occurred. This allowed other drivers to change tires efficiently under the safety car, resulting in George Russell overtaking the Ferrari.
A subsequent intense battle between Leclerc and Russell ensued, culminating in Leclerc overtaking Russell to reclaim fifth place. However, Russell raised concerns about Leclerc cutting a corner during the maneuver, prompting the stewards to investigate the incident post-race.
In the event of a penalty for Leclerc, it would need to be served at Monza the following Sunday. Leclerc joined Hamilton as a non-finisher in the race after being eliminated by Kimi Antonelli.
The race also witnessed a rookie mistake from the Mercedes driver, who attempted an ambitious move on the Ferrari at turn three but ended up colliding with Leclerc’s rear-left wheel. This caused Leclerc’s car to spin and crash into the barrier, resulting in significant damage. Despite the challenging day, Leclerc watched the rest of the race from a sand dune, clearly disheartened by the turn of events.
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