The Spanish Grand Prix started with chaos after Lewis Hamilton’s brakes failed early in Madrid, forcing an early retirement.
Hamilton started on the grid in fourth but moved into third at the start before pushing back to his original position during the early turns.
Lewis Hamilton. Getty Images
The Brit had pushed past Max Verstappen, who started in third, with Hamilton heard on the team radio saying the Dutchman needed to give a position back after going wide on one of the turns.
But Verstappen fired back on the radio on the second lap.
“Lewis almost shunted into me, he was out of control,” he said.
“If I didn’t move, he just shunted into me. I would’ve been ahead.”
On the same lap, Hamilton told his team to check his left rear because he’d hit the wall.
By the fourth lap, Verstappen was told to go back from second to fourth, letting Kimi Antonelli and Hamilton move ahead.
He wasn’t happy.
“Mate what the f–k are you guys talking about? He would have shunted it,” he said on the team radio when told by his engineer to give his places back.
“Like, what are you guys talking about? If I just stay on the track, I am out of the race.”
By the fifth lap, Verstappen passed Hamilton because the latter’s brakes started to fail.
“I don’t have brakes guys,” he said one lap later before being forced to retire.
David Croft said on Sky Sports: “That is such cruel luck.”
There was also concern for Oscar Piastri’s McLaren early in the race after he’d made contact with George Russell on the opening lap.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll also lost his brakes and had to retire after the 15th lap.