Lewis Hamilton Unloads on “Joke” Stewards During Nightmare Brazilian GP Retirement
Some days you eat the bear, and some days, well, the bear eats you. For Lewis Hamilton, the Brazilian Grand Prix was an all-you-can-eat buffet, and he was the main course. The seven-time world champion’s race weekend in a country he considers a second home unraveled into a chaotic mess of contact, penalties, and an eventual retirement, culminating in a fiery radio message that left no doubt about his feelings toward the F1 stewards.
It was a weekend that promised so much for Hamilton but delivered a spectacular disaster. After a less-than-ideal qualifying session, his race went from bad to worse before the first lap was even over. In what can only be described as a start from hell, Hamilton found himself tangled up with Carlos Sainz, a move that sent him plummeting five places down to 18th. Just as he was trying to pick up the pieces, he ran into the back of Franco Colapinto’s car on the main straight, adding a damaged front wing to his growing list of problems. It was the kind of start that makes you wonder if you’ve angered some ancient motorsport deity.
What Went Wrong for Hamilton in Brazil?
The chaos of the opening lap was just the beginning of the downward spiral for Hamilton. A safety car was deployed on the second lap after local hero Gabriel Bortoleto, in a sad repeat of his sprint race incident, was squeezed by Lance Stroll and found himself intimately acquainted with the wall. While the track was being cleared, Hamilton limped into the pits for a new front wing, his hopes for a decent result already fading fast.
Back on track, the situation didn’t improve. Driving a car he described as “crazy unstable,” Hamilton was clearly fighting a losing battle. His frustration was palpable as he came over the team radio, warning his engineers, “Mate, I’m going to crash out here. I’ll keep trying.” He later doubled down on the sentiment, grimly predicting, “It’s likely I’m going to end up in the barriers. The rears. The rear is dropping off big time.” It was a desperate plea from a driver who felt his car was actively trying to betray him.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the F1 stewards decided to sprinkle a little salt in the wound. On lap 29, Hamilton was slapped with a five-second time penalty for the earlier collision with Colapinto. This was the final straw. Having already voiced his displeasure with the stewards after the Mexico City Grand Prix, Hamilton let loose a furious tirade over the team radio.
“These guys are a joke. A complete joke,” he fumed, his voice dripping with contempt. He argued, “The car moved over on me so I clipped my wing.” It was a raw, unfiltered moment of rage from a champion who felt he was being unfairly penalized for what he saw as a racing incident.
A “Weekend to Forget” for Hamilton and Ferrari
The misery finally came to an end on lap 40. Hamilton retired the car, bringing a merciful conclusion to his Brazilian nightmare. His Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, also saw his race end prematurely, compounding a truly awful day for the Scuderia.
Speaking to F1 TV after the race, a dejected Hamilton struggled to find the words. “I mean, jeez, this is definitely a weekend to forget,” he said, the disappointment etched on his face. “It’s a shame because I love Brazil… to come away with nothing, to not finish a race the second time in the year, it’s really devastating and I feel terrible for the team.”
He also took responsibility for his poor qualifying performance, which set the stage for the calamitous race. “I’m sorry for my part in qualifying, putting myself in that position,” he admitted. “We’ll get back up tomorrow and just give it another go.”
While it was a day of despair for Ferrari, it was a dream weekend for McLaren’s Lando Norris. After winning the sprint race, Norris stormed to a dominant victory in the main event, extending his championship lead over Oscar Piastri to 24 points with just three races remaining. As the F1 circus packs up and heads to Las Vegas, Norris is firmly in the driver’s seat for the title, while Hamilton is left to lick his wounds and hope for a change of fortune in the desert.
