FORMULA 1 LEGEND WITH SOCCER LEGEND IN SÄO PAULO | SIR LEWIS HAMILTON & NEYMAR JR

 

'HAMILTON IS NOT VERY LIKED AT FERRARI': LEWIS HAMILTON 'PLAYING POLITICS' AGAINST CHARLES LECLERC, ALLEGES F1 JOURNO

Lewis Hamilton accused of playing politics with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. (Source: MEGA)

F1 journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni has accused Lewis Hamilton of ‘playing politics’ at Ferrari against teammate Charles Leclerc. The journalist has said that the Briton is disliked within the team, according to his knowledge, as team personnel are seemingly unhappy with the way he ‘carries himself’.

“From what I gather, Hamilton is not very liked at Ferrari. His behavior is almost the complete opposite of what the staff and engineers expect. The way he carries himself hasn’t exactly endeared him to anyone,” Donadoni told AutoRacer.

“Hamilton is very skilled at playing politics. For years, he’s had the backing of the press—especially the British media—which has helped him push specific narratives,” he added.

Lewis Hamilton finished second, while Charles Leclerc finished fourth at the Mexican GP. (Source: MEGA)

Hamilton and Leclerc were involved in a tangle on Lap 1 of the Mexican GP, as the pair nearly collided at Turn 4 when both went off the track. Leclerc cut the corner and kept the lead of the race while Max Verstappen overtook Hamilton.

Eventually, Leclerc got a five-second penalty and Verstappen went on to win the race, as the Ferrari pair threw away a potential race win for the team.

Following this, Hamilton was livid with his teammate over the team radio, as well as in the media afterward.

‘Master of Politics’ Lewis Hamilton Trying to Gain ‘Leverage’ at Ferrari, Claims Donadoni

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been teammates at Ferrari since 2025. (Source: MEGA)

Donadoni has also claimed that Hamilton is trying to gain ‘political leverage’ with the Ferrari setup by using media as a tool to sway public opinion in his favor. He has also reported that Hamilton is now in company chairman John Elkann’s ear as well, as he is trying to take control within the setup.

On top of this, Donadoni has claimed:

“He’s a master of politics. He played the political game against [Fernando] Alonso and, in that regard, completely dismantled him that season.”

The Italian journalist has also claimed that Leclerc has been left ‘furious’ following what transpired at the Mexican GP, with the relationship between the two drivers now turning sour.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc Engaged in a War of Words After the Mexican GP

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc sit third and fifth in the 2026 F1 drivers’ standings respectively. (Source: MEGA)

Hamilton and Leclerc went back and forth, throwing punches at each other following the Mexican GP Lap 1 incident. Hamilton questioned Leclerc’s mentality, while the Monegasque stated that he could be unhappy with his teammate too.

“Ultimately, it was that [Leclerc’s aggression on Lap 1] that lost us the win today, and, yeah, I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure,” said Hamilton after the race.

“The guy is 28 years old, so I don’t think it’s an age thing. I think it’s a mentality thing. It’s like, ‘Do or die. Either I win or none of us do,’ and it shouldn’t be that,” he added during the press conference on Sunday.

Meanwhile, when told about Hamilton’s comments and how they move on from this, Leclerc replied:

“Well, I’ll speak with Lewis. I could be also unhappy with how much he pushed me off the track out of Turn 1, but I think it’s racing. When you are fighting for a win, it’s the way it should be.”

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Italian GP in September. (Source: MEGA)

Leclerc said both he and Hamilton made a mistake going into Turn 4, as opposed to it just being his fault. The 29-year-old admitted that he deserved his five-second penalty as well for the incident.

- Samyak Sharma

LEWIS HAMILTON MAKES FRED VASSEUR CLAIM AMID FERRARI MÉXICO FALLOUT

Lewis Hamilton believes that Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was “nervous” ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, amid the fallout from his intra-team clash with Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton has made a claim regarding Fred Vasseur

The Brit and his Monegasque counterpart were involved in a frantic and nerve-jangling exchange in the first two chicanes of the opening lap of the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Leclerc leapt ahead of George Russell from third on the grid to challenge polesitter Hamilton going into Turns 1 and 2, the pair almost touching.

Into 3 and 4, the pair, on this occasion, indeed made some contact, with saw both cars go off the track, with Leclerc taking the lead off track, as Hamilton dropped to third behind Max Verstappen.

Leclerc was given a five-second penalty for his troubles, with Hamilton left to stew over the incident both in the car and after the race.

As well as making assertions about Leclerc’s mentality and calling for talks with Ferrari about the incident, Hamilton made the claim about Team Principal Vasseur’s apparent anxious disposition to media in the post-race press conference.

Lewis Hamilton feels he could have won in Mexico City

Lewis Hamilton reveals doubt over potential change at Ferrari

“I mean, I’ve had way worse times at Mercedes,” he replied, when asked by Motorsport Week whether he is finding resolutions to such incidents tougher at Ferrari.

“There were some really bad moments, but no, I don’t really see there being huge differences. I think it was managed well at Mercedes, and I think Fred’s doing his best.

“I think Fred came and spoke to me before the race, and I think he was nervous. I think he just wanted us… Of course, he wants these two drivers to do well.

“Yeah, I mean, I think from my side, if I’m coming from behind and I’m taking all the risk and it ends up that we lose as a team, then I think I have some answering to do, because it impacts a lot of people.

“But the other way around, I’m in the lead, and it was just unnecessary. I think we could have easily, as I said, had that one-two today, which would have been huge for the team and for everyone back at the factory who’s worked so hard to bring us these upgrades.

“I don’t really know what will be done because up until now nothing really has been done. So, yeah, we’ll see.”

- Jack Oliver Smith

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON TAKE MÉXICO GRAND PRIX 2026 POLE POSITION | FIRST POLE FOR FERRARI

 

LEWIS HAMILTON LOOSES POWER DURING MÉXICO FREE PRACTICE 2

 

SOCIALITE KARDASHIAN CAME TO SINGAPORE 🇸🇬 TO SUPPORT SIR. LEWIS HAMILTON

 

BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA 2026 | FIA PRESS CONFERENCE

Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the season with victory at the Sepang circuit. Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP / Getty Images

1 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)

2 – Kimi ANTONELLI (Mercedes)

3 – Lewis HAMILTON (Ferrari)

TRACK INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by David Coulthard)

Q: Max Verstappen, it’s your 72nd victory and I suspect your sweetest.

Max VERSTAPPEN: It’s a really nice one, you know, after the year that we’ve had and the progression that we’ve made. So, yeah, I’m incredibly proud of everyone and it’s just super nice to win here.

Q: What a complicated race to unpack. You had to be one of the few who made the decision to start on the intermediates. You didn’t get off the line well. Mercedes at that point were looking strong. Put us in the cockpit, take us on that journey back to winning this Grand Prix.

MV: Yeah, it was very hectic with a lot of different things. In the start, no power, so you have to wait for the power to kick in. But then, yeah, we made the right call with the intermediates and after that, step by step, we moved our way forward. From there onwards, we could do our own race until the end, again, of course, with a Safety Car, but we kept it all under control.

Q: Kimi, coming to you. You battled hard. There were many opportunities there, but in the end, Max just had a little bit more pace. But you must be satisfied with that second place?

Kimi ANTONELLI: Yeah, I mean, I think today was the maximum we could have done. Of course, massive congrats to Max and Red Bull for the incredible weekend. On our side, a lot of work to do. Of course, we’ve been struggling a bit more than usual, but still really happy to come away with P2.

Q: Your first experience of this Malaysian track. Obviously, we’re here celebrating the Bahrain Grand Prix. You enjoyed it?

KA: Yeah, it was amazing and the fans were incredible this weekend, so thank you so much. And hopefully we’ll come back in the future to Malaysia.

Q: Thank you, Kimi. Lewis, perfect example of never giving up. You were a minute behind at one point and you fought through, and this must be a proud third place for you.

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, well, thank you, guys. Big congratulations to Max. What a tough race that was. Obviously, we had the wrong call at the beginning, which was so difficult, and I could see everyone just pulling away. And as I could see on the screen, it was a minute down, and I thought that was kind of race over for us. But I just kept my head down. The guys did a great job with the pit stops. Obviously, lots of tyre changes, lots of chasing, and honestly, of all the years I’ve been here, this is the best race we’ve had here, but particularly because of this crowd. So, big thank you, everyone.

Q: Well, congratulations, Lewis. Max, coming back to you. This is a historical moment for the Red Bull Racing team. A few years ago, the late Mr Mateschitz and, of course, his partner Mr Yoovidhya decided to build their own powertrain. You’ve now delivered their first victory.

Max VERSTAPPEN: It’s incredible. I think already, of course, we started, but also to win our first race in our first year with our own power unit is pretty impressive.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Welcome to the post-race press conference for the FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. We have today’s race winner in the centre, Max Verstappen; on the left, in second place, Kimi Antonelli; and on the right, completing the podium, Lewis Hamilton. Max, I’ll start with you. Huge congratulations. Your 72nd win for Red Bull and the first for the Red Bull powertrain, but you’ve had to wait 309 days for this. Tell me how this win feels today.

MV: Yeah, of course, very special for us. I mean, we had a very complicated and tough start to the year with all sorts of problems and just not being competitive enough. But throughout the year, the team has been working very hard to understand our issues and bring good performance upgrades to the car and make it more driveable. Step by step, we’ve been getting closer and closer, and today, and of course especially this whole weekend, we’ve been really in good form. So, yeah, it’s amazing. I mean, the race, of course, was quite complicated. It was not made easy for us in terms of all the calls that we had to make and then the Safety Car at the end, but we kept cool and we made all the right calls with the tyres. So, yeah, very, very enjoyable to win here and also have our first victory for our own engine. I mean, it’s an incredible project with a lot of partners and a lot of people that are dedicated to be where we are now. So, yeah, fantastic feeling.

Q: What was going through your mind at the start when the two Mercedes appeared either side of you and went ahead?

MV: I mean, I was not surprised because my start was horrendous. Again, dropping the clutch and not having power. The engine just completely died on me. But then you just have to settle in, try not to overreact as well, and just slot in, try to keep your position there. The race is long, a lot of things can happen and, step by step, I could close the gap. And then I had quite a, I think, quite a nice battle on the slicks with Kimi. It’s quite slippery in some phases of the corner, but, yeah, it was nice.

Q: If I can move to you now, Kimi. Congratulations. Not the win, but you have extended your lead in the championship today to 84 points. You had a fantastic start, you got into the lead, but ultimately was it just that the Red Bulls had too much pace for you today? Was there anything else out there for you?

KA: Yeah, I think, you know, Max has been very, very quick all weekend. Red Bull, they’ve been doing a great job, and we’ve just been struggling more than previous races. I think we’re still trying to understand the new package because also this track, with such a rough tarmac and high temperatures, it made our life more difficult. And probably next week in Singapore, we hopefully will have a better read on the package and also understanding what set-up needs to be run. But I think today, with the pace we had, P2 was the maximum we could have achieved.

Q: I’m going to ask you about the upgrade. Do you think, then, the surface here has masked the potential of it? Does the team understand whether it’s a step forward or a step back?

KA: That’s the question we need to answer because we don’t really know if it made us go faster or worse. Fair to say, this season, whenever we went on really old tarmacs, we’ve struggled. For example, Zandvoort, McLaren was much quicker than us, especially on the older tarmac. So I think maybe it’s just a question, maybe it’s just a fact that the tarmac is just very old and that for the tyres it’s very, very hard, and maybe we just struggle on this kind of tarmac. But, of course, the track and the tarmac made our life difficult in understanding whether it made us improve or not. But I’m sure the team, you know, they have a lot of data, especially after this weekend, and I’m sure for Singapore we will come with a much, much better view on the package and hopefully we can extract the full potential out of it.

Q: Thank you, Kimi. Lewis, what a race. Running 17th and a minute down at one point, but 29 laps on the soft saved yourself a pit stop, essentially. Can you take us inside your helmet at the start of the race, where you were on the slicks and the others weren’t around you, and then the mentality you used to get yourself back into that race and ultimately be sitting here?

LH: Yeah, well, firstly, big, big congrats to Max today. They’ve done a really great job in improving through this year. And I think for us, we were having a good weekend. The car felt great in qualifying. It felt amazing to get to second, and I really, really, really... Me and my engineers were here till, like, 11:30 last night just going over everything, and I really, really felt today was the opportunity to have at least a good battle with Max. But then, obviously, the rain came, the big panic with everyone when we all lost power. And particularly, my power didn’t come back and I had to stop on track and restart the car. And then we all ended up in the pit lane. Thankfully, we all got back to our positions, but then after that there was such a long wait and we were debating on what tyre to go on to. And I said, “Look, there was a lot of spray on the laps to the grid.” And I went into the pit lane, I looked at the ground, I was like, “It’s still wet.” I went to the pit wall and I was like, “It’s still wet.” And they’re like, “Yeah, but because it’s been so long, it’s definitely going to dry up real quick and maybe we’re already in the crossover.” So, anyways, as a team, we ended up taking that soft and when we were at the end of the pit lane and these two took off their blankets and they’re on inters, we were in trouble. And as we pulled out, all the spray came out the back of Max’s car and I was like, “Okay, I’m done. My race is really in trouble.” So, I mean, he didn’t make it around on the formation lap, so then we just had to stick with it. Like, we’ve made the decision and live with it. And I think then, through that, as everyone’s overtaken me, they’re like, “We stop,” because I know we’ve already made another 26 seconds. What’s the difference from that with one minute 40 or whatever I was down? So I was just, “Let’s just wait it out for the track to dry.” And once it did, it felt good that I was catching people. The car felt great then after that. Really good pit stops from my guys in the garage and then good strategy. But for us to get back to the podium, I never thought that that was going to be the case. But, of course, I’m really, really grateful that we managed to get back here.

Q: We heard you on the radio saying, “No, let’s take the gamble.” Fighting spirit from you there. What was possible today and what will you be saying in the debrief to help the team move forward and so that the decisions are correct in future?

LH: Yeah, not going to go to the casino with the guys.

Q: You have an open dialogue, you feel?

LH: Yeah, of course. Yeah, we’ll definitely have an open dialogue. And, you know, I’m really so proud of my team. The mechanics every weekend, just the work they’re putting in, the engineers that accompany here every weekend, the catering, everyone really, really comes and gives it their best. Their heart’s all in the right spot. We’ve definitely got areas that we need to improve and we know that, and we’re not in any denial of that. So I think we’ll have a constructive chat, we’ll regroup, we’ll take the positives from this weekend, which the car was really good, and we’ll come back next week fighting. I thought today, as I said, was a chance for us potentially to try and fight Max for the win, but maybe we can do that next week.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) For Max and for Lewis. Lewis, you already referenced the big panic you felt when you couldn’t feel any power. Could you just talk through what happened in those moments? And how concerning is it for F1, with these very complicated engines, the first bit of rain and we’ve ended up in a situation like this?

MV: That’s the problem that we have. You know, these engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented. And, yeah, when there’s like some kind of... I want to call it... That’s the problem. And, yeah, I triggered it first and then I look in my mirror, I just see... I was like, “Wait, are they waiting for me or what’s going...?” It was like the Lego race.

LH: Yeah, we had the same speed.

MV: Same speed. Yeah, it was insane. Like, it’s the Lego power. At some point we were five-wide on the straight because we couldn’t understand what was going on. Then we did a lap and then I see eight other cars crawling still, and I saw you by yourself crawling.

LH: Well, I had to stop on track and stop the car and engine and restart it. I’ve never done that before.

MV: Yeah, what can you say? I mean, that’s not what you want, right, for the sport.

LH: Yeah, I hope there is a lesson learned.

Q: (Laurine Slingerland - NU.nl) A question for Max. Congrats, first, on the win. We saw your father got emotional and I was wondering if you got emotional as well, and what this win means for you also as a family?

MV: Yeah, I mean, we’re all very much invested in it. And, of course, you know, my relationship with my dad, we really understand each other well from all the years that we have spent together working towards our goal in Formula 1. So he’s still there in the background. He’s not coming every race, but when he is there, we talk a lot about everything. He knows everything. And, yeah, also for him, I guess the beginning of the season was not nice to watch, as for me being in the car was not nice to drive. But then seeing how the team progressed and basically never really stopped working and really took the car and just really tried to fix the issues that we had, and then deliver something like this, it’s amazing. And also with the people involved, honestly, the spirit in the team is very good. Everyone is on the same line and we really understand each other well. So it’s very enjoyable to work in the team and that’s why I think also everyone is super happy that we finally delivered a result like this.

Q: (Ajit Devadason - The New Indian Express) It’s a question for Kimi. Kimi, today you finished a couple of seconds behind Max and a couple of seconds ahead of Lewis. You’re racing alongside two drivers who represent very different generations of greatness. How much are you consciously learning from watching Max’s ability to manage a race and Lewis’ experience to never, ever give up? And do you feel that guidance is already influencing the driver and champion that you’re becoming?

KA: That’s a good question. Yeah, I think, you know, it’s always great to, first of all, be able to share the track, especially, you know, in this case with Max and Lewis, because they’re definitely rewriting... Well, Lewis basically did the history of the sport and Max is doing the same. So I think, on my side, I try to learn as much as possible whenever I drive closely to them. Today was a really good showcase of how Max handled the restart on slick tyres and the slippery track. He just knew much better how to position the car and had a better feeling for the grip in those first two corners and overtook me. So, of course, that was really good. Even though it was not nice to get overtaken, I was very annoyed with that, it was still a good way to learn from that and to use it in the future. And then, of course, with Lewis, I think we’ve seen many, many times, many years, that even when things go badly, he always keeps his head down and tries to do his best to achieve the best result possible.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Sorry about that. On the restart, after the restart, to Max and to Lewis. There was a long delay after the initial start was suspended. Were you guys told why there was that delay? Because the track was basically dry when we got racing again. Was it to do with the weather or something else?

MV: Well, I mean, Lewis probably tends to disagree that it was dry.

LH: No, but it was because they had to update the software and then you have to load it into the car. I guess some had some faster laptops than others.

MV: Yeah, that was the delay, just getting the software transferred, I guess, for everyone.

Q: Is that a bit crazy, that there’s almost an hour delay because software needs to be updated to the cars? This is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor racing.

MV: Yeah, you know, we’re partnered with Oracle, so we have very, very fast connection. So we were there, you know, we were waiting for half an hour. So maybe some others had a bit of a slower connection.

Q: Max, could you just explain for us what was going on in the car when you guys were having that issue? Because if you’re off throttle too long in these cars, they don’t like it. I mean, this is the new generation, isn’t it?

MV: Yeah, there was nothing going on. That was the problem. It was just like driving at, what, 35 kilometres, going uphill, actually losing speed. So, yeah, I don’t know exactly, because when you go too low in speed and too low RPM, for whatever reason, then it just bogs down. And normally it takes one or two seconds and it comes back. That’s basically also what I had in the start. But somehow that didn’t trigger in the first software round, and then in the second software round it was a bit better, luckily. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been stuck as well in the start, which I had probably a few times in the beginning of the year as well when I had a poor start, but it meant that I was lost. So at least now it was a bit better.

- FIA

LEWIS HAMILTON HANDED F1 TITLE BLOW WITH SPANISH GP EXIT

Credit: F1C

Lewis Hamilton has been forced to retire from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid following a brake issue, denting his narrow World Championship hopes.

Five laps into the race, the Ferrari driver complained to over team radio that he felt his brake pedal going long shortly after Max Verstappen let him pass to take third place.

Unable to accelerate for fear of not being able to slow the car, Hamilton was subsequently overtaken by his teammate, and then by the other cars on the grid, slipping down to last place.

HAMILTON OUT!

Brake failure sends the #Ferrari driver into an early retirement#F1 #Hamilton #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/w6EyxMzJLX

— Motorsport Week (@MotorsportWeek) September 13, 2026

The Briton was able to limp into the pits on Lap 7, marking the end of his race.

This followed a lap 1 scuffle between Hamilton and Verstappen, which saw the two nearly make contact as the Red Bull was forced off track. As a result, Verstappen went ahead of Hamilton and then overtook Kimi Antonelli, but was forced to concede two positions after the team ordered him to Hamilton the position back.

- Eleanor Cooper

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON VS. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER | STATS | FORMULA 1

 

Two different eras, but the same incredible number at the top: 7 world titles each. 🏆🏆

Michael Schumacher set the standard for dominance in the 1990s and 2000s, winning 91 races and setting records that stood for years.

Lewis Hamilton spent the following two decades chasing those numbers and eventually matching Schumacher’s seven championships, while going on to surpass him in wins, poles and podiums.

Their careers even briefly crossed in 2007, when rookie Hamilton raced against Schumacher during his comeback. What looked like a simple meeting of two generations would eventually become one of F1’s greatest statistical battles.

Different eras, different rules, different points systems. But the same level of greatness. 👑

#F1 #Formula1 #HamiltonVsSchumacher #Ferrari

- Tiara Pane 

LEWIS HAMILTON HAS RESCUED A FERRARI F40 ABANDONED "FOR OVER THRIRTY YEARS"

 

“I don’t have any cars anymore,” said Lewis Hamilton back in 2025. “I got rid of all my cars. I’m more into art nowadays. If I was going to get a car, it would be the F40. But that’s a nice piece of art.”

Strong agree, Lewis. Now we learn the seven-time Formula One world champion has finally bagged himself a nice piece of art, because he’s just revealed he’s now the owner of a Ferrari F40.

The car he was pictured next to dressed like a mafia boss last year. The car that adorned a million bedroom walls in the Eighties. A car that Gerhard Berger once said was ‘easy to drive… if you are experienced with racing cars’.

We’re lightly certain Hamilton’s experienced with racing cars. And now he gets to work on his very own F40. “This is the car of my dreams and has been for as long as I can remember,” he said in his post. “As a kid I dreamt of having one. When I joined Ferrari last year I made sure to have one with me on my first day at Maranello. That’s how much it means to me.

“These cars are works of art and incredibly rare, so when I found this one, covered in dust after being sat in a garage for over thirty years, I knew I had to bring her home.

“First to Maranello, where the master engineers and mechanics at the factory worked for weeks to bring her back to life. Massive thank you to everyone who had a hand in this project. This has truly been a dream come true. I can’t wait to share more with you all.

“Stay tuned…”

Is this the beginning of his long-held ambition to build an F40-based 'F44' supercar with a manual gearbox? Stay tuned indeed.

- Vijay Pattni

GEORGE RUSSELL BLAMES A MERCEDES POWER FAILURE, NOT LEWIS HAMILTON, FOR HIS BELGIAN GRAND PRIX TITLE BLOW

• George Russell retired from the Belgian Grand Prix on lap one after colliding with Lewis Hamilton, but he pinned the cause on a Mercedes power problem rather than his former teammate

• Hamilton received a five-second penalty for the clash, yet both drivers agreed afterward that it was a racing incident

• Toto Wolff confirmed all Mercedes engines lacked power on the straights in the race, extending a pattern of reliability issues that has cost the team points all season

Getty Images 

George Russell’s Belgian Grand Prix ended on the opening lap, but the Mercedes driver said a problem with his own car, rather than the collision that put him in the gravel, was the real cause of his retirement.

Russell started third at Spa-Francorchamps and held the position through the first corner before Lewis Hamilton passed him along the Kemmel Straight. Russell moved to the outside of Hamilton into the braking zone at Les Combes to try to reclaim the place, the pair made contact, and Russell was spun into the gravel and out of the race. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for the collision, but Russell placed no blame on his former Mercedes teammate.

‘I Just Got Totally Swallowed Up Down the Straight’

“I just got totally swallowed up down the straight,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “I lost three positions down the straight down into Turn Five and then the incident was a racing incident.”

“Maybe I could have gone a bit wider, maybe he (Hamilton) could have braked a bit more. The incident shouldn’t have happened if I had the speed down the straight,” Russell added. “Very, very disappointed.”

The collision followed a qualifying session in which Russell had already flagged a lack of power, finishing more than half a second off pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli in fourth. He had spent Thursday’s media day discussing changes to his driving style to try to find lost time in this year’s cars, only to reverse that thinking on Saturday and conclude his technique was not the problem.

“I appreciate everyone is working hard to solve the problem, but I’m stood here [in the TV interview pen] on lap five of the race,” Russell said when asked how Mercedes could get to the bottom of the issue. “It felt like I was in a good position to fight for the lead up to Turn One and then, suddenly, no power and it’s all gone.”

Hamilton Agrees It Was Nobody’s Fault

Hamilton, who went on to finish fourth carrying the penalty and separate front-wing damage, echoed Russell’s read on the incident once the race was over.

“Ultimately, sorry for George because that obviously ended his race, but I did think… I do agree that it was a racing incident,” Hamilton said. “It’s not like I went in aggressive and was misplaced or anything like that. I think it was just an unfortunate scenario, which happens in racing. Then I had damage as well, so I carried that through the race. It was a tough one.”

Wolff Confirms a Problem Across the Whole Grid

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff went further than Russell in explaining what had gone wrong, confirming that every Mercedes-powered car on the grid had lost straight-line performance in the race. As well as building their own engines, Mercedes also supply McLaren, Alpine and Williams with power units.

“The accident that happened was unfortunate for us. We lost a lot of constructors’ points and George’s drivers’ points,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “We had an issue on all Mercedes engines that we lacked the power out on the straights. That hit him badly and it 100 per cent goes on us.”

“We are trying our best as a team. We have the most powerful power unit, a strong car that is capable of winning,” Wolff added. “Everyone is giving their maximum to minimise the mistakes and still it happens because we are humans at work.”

A Season Defined by Reliability, Not Pace

Russell’s retirement at Spa was his second of the season following an engine failure in Canada. His teammate Kimi Antonelli has had his own share of mechanical trouble, retiring in Barcelona after an engine failure and dropping from a likely victory to outside the points at Silverstone after a wheel-guard failure.

“We let Kimi down at Silverstone where George got a podium, which is maybe better than the result should have been,” Wolff said. “Then one DNF for Montreal, the other in Barcelona. That’s a little bit of the story of our season. It’s a technical sport, a mechanical sport.”

“We came out with a product [power unit] that is so strong and I’d rather fix the reliability rather than accelerate a slow engine, or slow car,” he continued. “We are giving it 100 per cent and need to give it 100 per cent because we lost a lot of points with reliability. We should be much further ahead than we are.”

Championship Fallout

The result dropped Russell 50 points behind championship leader Antonelli, and Hamilton’s fourth place moved him back ahead of Russell into second in the standings, 45 points off the lead.

- Jack Renn

HAMILTON'S SURFING TRIP WITH KIM KARDASHIAN SPARKS HILARIOUS SERGIO PEREZ REACTION

Photo: Race Pictures

With Formula 1 enjoying a week-long break ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton recently delighted fans by sharing footage of himself surfing alongside Kim Kardashian, and Sergio Perez could not help but offer a hilarious reaction to the footage.

The seven-time champion, who has often been seen sharing relatively affectionate moments with the American socialite, despite the pair not openly admitting they were in a relationship, again thrilled his fans and followers when he took to his Instagram to share footage of him surfing.

While the video itself was entertaining, it was Hamilton's perfectly executed 360-degree spin on the wave that really got fans talking. Kardashian was visibly thrilled by the Ferrari driver's display, screaming with excitement as she watched him complete the impressive manoeuvre.

However, amid the several reactions that continued to greet Hamilton's surfing adventure, Cadillac driver Sergio Perez could not help but drop in a cheeky comment. The former Red Bull Racing driver, reacting to the video, simply quipped: "Ai 100% 😂"

Kim Kardashian was present at the Monaco Grand Prix to cheer Lewis Hamilton - Photo: Race Pictures

Hamilton and Kardashian have continued to appear in public together, and the American socialite was present at the Monaco Grand Prix to cheer Hamilton following his second-place finish at the famed Monte Carlo street race.

George Russell pokes fun at Lewis Hamilton over Kim Kardashian

Earlier during the British Grand Prix weekend, George Russell could not resist teasing Hamilton about Kim Kardashian during a fan event at the Silverstone Circuit. The pair, who were teammates at Mercedes, appeared together on stage in front of a lively crowd alongside fellow British drivers Lando Norris, Arvid Lindblad and Oliver Bearman.

The event was hosted by Sky Sports commentator David Croft, who commented on Hamilton's noticeably positive demeanour this season. Crofty noted: "Lewis, on track and off track, you're a much happier man this year, and from everyone here, that is great to see."

Russell swiftly interjected with comedic timing, playfully asking Hamilton: "Is that because of a fast car or a new girlfriend?" The comment drew laughter from the crowd and the drivers on stage. Hamilton took the question in good humour and smiled before saying, "Yeah, that's a good one."

Croft jumped back in on the joke, telling Hamilton, "You know why he's asking? He just needs to know whether Kimi needs two towels."

During the Monaco Grand Prix, at which Kardashian was present, she was seen picking up Kimi Antonelli's towel and using it to wipe her face in the aftermath of the race, a moment that was captured and shared online. Kardashian would eventually gift Antonelli a replacement towel bearing the inscription: "To Kimi from Kim".

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Lewis Hamilton sends a war cry and a warning to Mercedes ahead of the Austrian GP as the Ferrari driver looks to beat the Silver Arrows once again to claim his second win of the 2026 F1 season on June 28.

Hamilton is now finally off the mark for the Scuderia after dominating the final part of the Barcelona GP, going on to beat George Russell by 19.5 seconds as the Brit and Maranello made a gutsy three-stop strategy work.

That win continues a strong run of form from the seven-time world champion, who has four podiums to his name and is yet to finish below sixth. He is just one of two driver to finish sixth or better in every race so far along with Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris

He remains the only driver to complete every lap of the season and leads the head-to-head against teammate Charles Leclerc 5-2 in Grand Prix races and 4-3 in qualifying, as he rebounds to his finest form following a difficult spell in the Ground Effect Era.

Now 41 points behind in the Formula 1 standings, the 41-year-old aims to continue closing the gap to Kimi Antonelli as he looks to catch his replacement after his decision to leave Brackley in February 2024.

The Italian, who was Toto Wolff’s pick for the seat, suffered a late DNF at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to narrow the gap in the drivers’ championship, despite winning five of the opening seven races – highlighting the fine margins in the sport.

And the 106-time winner has no intention of stopping with that single taste of glory as Hamilton sends a war cry to Mercedes ahead of Austrian GP that he is looking to chase down back-to-back wins.

“I’m thinking about arriving and I want to win this weekend,” Hamilton told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “That’s my goal. That’s what I’ve been working for all week, last week and this week. I’ve not been having dinners.

“It’s head back down with the sacrifices you need to make to make sure that you arrive 100% so you can deliver for these people.

“Especially also knowing how far it reaches, the impact and decisions that I make in the car and what we do here. So those are the things I think about.”

Hamilton refused to enjoy final laps of Barcelona GP

After pitting under the virtual safety car to switch to hard tyres for his final stint to retain the lead of the Barcelona GP with younger tyres than the chasing pack behind him, Hamilton wasted no time breaking out of Overtake Mode range.

Within a lap he was clear of any danger from Russell and the gap only started to swell from there onwards, amassing to almost 20 seconds come the chequered flag on Lap 66 of the Barcelona GP on June 14.

But despite knowing he was comfortably clear of the field and capable of coasting to the finish, able to take as little risk as he wanted to, Hamilton admits he was not interested in enjoying the final laps and simply focused on bringing the car home.

“Honestly, I was almost praying that the car would make it to the finish,” Hamilton added. “I’ve experienced gearbox failures, engine failures, hydraulic issues, battery problems, and brake failures in the past, so you never take anything for granted.

“I was focused on not making mistakes and on bringing home the points for the team. During the final lap I actively stopped myself from thinking about the win because the job isn’t done until you’ve crossed the line.

“Even when I saw the crowd, I reminded myself there were still corners left. It wasn’t until I was well past the chequered flag and saw the team on the pit wall that I finally allowed myself to think, ‘OK, the job is done.’”

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LEWIS HAMILTON MAKES FERRARI DISCOVERY AFTER 'ONE MILLION' OVERHAUL

Lewis Hamilton believes he has made a breakthrough at Ferrari after previous struggles.

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Lewis Hamilton believes he is now starting "to see the fruits" of his 2025 Ferrari struggles after an upturn in form. 

Hamilton scored his best Ferrari result to date in Canada with second place, and followed this up with another second in Monaco - the first time he has scored back-to-back podiums since Hungary and Belgium 2024 whilst at Mercedes.

He also scooped third in China and, after Monte Carlo, has climbed to second in the drivers' championship, two points ahead of George Russell.

It is the first time since the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP that Hamilton has been within the top two of the drivers' championship, after enduring a tricky handful of seasons, including 2025, where he failed to score a grand prix podium in his first season at Ferrari.

Detailing how the "ship" had turned, Hamilton explained that the woes of 2025 were finally starting to yield results.

"I came to a team that has everything it needs to succeed, but it is just putting the pieces of the puzzle in the right place, and I've been 100% committed to getting to that point," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365.

"Fred [Vasseur, team principal] has been great when working with me and helping engineers, with the set-up being one million times better than it was last year, and I'm starting to see the fruits of driving the car last year, and I asked for certain things, and we have those today, for example, the suspension. 

"So it is great to work with everyone to move the ship and steer it in the right direction, but there is still a way to go."

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KIM KARDASHIAN & SIR LEWIS HAMILTON HAVING A SPLENDID DAY AT THE BEACH