Hamilton Crashes Ferrari, Defies Team Orders at Madring

On September 12, during Free Practice 3 for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari into a barrier with approximately 37 minutes remaining in the session. The crash occurred as he approached turn 22, causing his front left wheel to lock up.

Hamilton managed to free the car but faced a challenging return to the pits due to the damage, particularly to the front wing, which became lodged beneath the car. Ferrari's race engineer, Carlo Santi, instructed Hamilton to stop the car in a safe location to prevent further damage.

However, Hamilton initially resisted, believing he could complete the lap. He continued driving for nearly two-thirds of the remaining track until Santi informed him that the race director had ordered him to pull over for safety reasons.

The session was subsequently red-flagged to repair the damaged barriers. This incident poses a significant challenge for Hamilton, who is currently 76 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.