5 godzin temu
Lewis Hamilton crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix on lap 23 at Zandvoort, describing his retirement as "painful" after a race-ending incident that caught him by complete surprise. The seven-time world champion was running in seventh place behind George Russell when he lost control at the banked Turn 3, clipping the painted edge of the corner made treacherous by light drizzle.
Hamilton's Ferrari snapped sideways and despite his attempts to correct the slide, the car speared into the wall with heavy damage to the left-front. The crash came moments after he had been discussing undercut strategy on team radio with his Ferrari team.
Hamilton's surprise and frustration
"It just took me by complete surprise, what just happened there," Hamilton said after the retirement. "I lost the rear end up the bank, and that was it."
The timing made the crash particularly difficult for Hamilton to accept. "I was just saying that we would have to probably try and undercut them at some point," he explained about the radio conversation that preceded his accident.
Progress overshadowed by setback
Despite the disappointing outcome, Hamilton felt the weekend had shown genuine progress for Ferrari. "Apart from that, it's been a really solid weekend," he said. "And we made lots of... I felt like I made progress, just overall approach and everything."
"And so to come away with nothing is definitely painful," Hamilton added, highlighting his frustration at losing potential points during a weekend where his confidence in the car had improved compared to earlier races this season.
Championship implications mount
The crash represents Hamilton's second retirement of the 2025 campaign and comes at a circuit where Zandvoort's unique high-banked corners combined with unpredictable weather conditions often expose even experienced drivers to mistakes. Meanwhile, Russell finished sixth to secure solid points, continuing to edge Hamilton in their internal Ferrari battle.
For Hamilton, still chasing his first victory since 2021, the incident marks another setback in a season where Ferrari have shown flashes of competitiveness but struggled to match McLaren consistently. The team now turns attention to their home race at Monza, where Hamilton will be desperate to put the Zandvoort disappointment behind him and deliver a strong result for the Tifosi.
Sources used: "GB News", "Daily Star", "Daily Mail", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
