Lewis Hamilton has revealed the full extent of a shocking neck injury he suffered in a testing crash in early 2025.
Hamilton initially made the injury revelation last time out at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where he finally broke his duck and claimed a maiden grand prix victory for Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton in the paddock ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. AP Photo/Denes Erdos
“At the beginning of last year I got injured here, actually, and carried that for months,” the seven-time champion said.
Speaking to media ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton was pushed for more details of the crash, which happened in just his second outing in a Ferrari at the Barcelona circuit during a closed-doors test last January.
At the time Ferrari said Hamilton was “unhurt” in the crash, but Hamilton in Austria suggested that was far from the case.
“I hit the wall very hard last year in testing … knocked out one of the discs in my neck, which was into the nerve,” he said per The Race.
“I couldn’t do a lot for like nine weeks. I was having chiropractors every day, physically every day I couldn’t sleep.
“I had painkillers, I had to get an injection, I did everything I could to try to fix it. So that’s what I was basically trying to live with. It’s not easy in the position that you’re sitting in.”
The “nine weeks” claim indicates he was carrying the after-effects at least through the opening two grands prix of 2025 in Melbourne and Shanghai, where he started on pole and won the sprint race.
Last time out in Barcelona, Hamilton put in a stonking drive to victory. His surge to the front was aided by a perfectly timed virtual safety car, but it’s widely believed he and his Ferrari had the pace to get past the Mercedes duo on pace alone.
Hamilton said he was given something of a hero’s welcome when he returned to Maranello.
“I had just landed at the airport, I saw how important it was for the police officers at immigration,” he said.
“They were the first Italians to see as I landed. As I got to Maranello, just seeing how happy everybody was. There’s always been a good energy in the team. I think it felt even higher for sure.”
Ferrari are once again expected to be strong in the Styrian mountains, where a heat hazard has been declared as a heatwave continues its way across Europe.
The team has also brought an engine upgrade which will help down the three long straights.
“We’re working more cohesively, more tight-knit than ever before with great leadership from (team principal Fred Vasseur),” Hamilton said.
Hamilton won his first grand prix as a Ferrari driver last time out in Barcelona. Getty Images
“It feels great that we have a car with things that I’d asked for. We’re moving together and collaborating really well. I love driving this car.
“I’ve got things that I’d asked for and I’m now starting to be able to execute them. So that’s the thing that feels the best.
“I’m just really not thinking that I’m competing for a championship. I’m thinking about: ‘Wow, I want to win this weekend’. That’s my goal. That’s what I’ve been working towards for the last full week. Last week and this week.”
Practice for the Austrian Grand Prix begins on Friday night (AEST), ahead of qualifying on Saturday. The race starts at 11pm Sunday.