Lewis Hamilton suffered a rare accident ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday. He clipped the barriers on the outside of Massenet corner at the end of FP3.
F1 pundit Damon Hill thinks Kimi Antonelli caught Hamilton by surprise as he reached the blind corner at the top of the hill. A snap of oversteer took him into the barriers.
Fortunately for the seven-time world champion, the impact was relatively minor, and he was able to take part in qualifying. It’s the first time he’s crashed the Ferrari during a Grand Prix weekend.
Hamilton had an accident during a TPC run during the winter. But as the second-most experienced driver in F1 history behind Fernando Alonso, he’s largely cut such errors out of his driving.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri wedged his McLaren in the wall at Sainte Devote during FP2, so Hamilton wasn’t the only big name who came a cropper.
Lewis Hamilton thanked Ferrari mechanics individually after Monaco Grand Prix crash
Speaking before Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, Sky Sports analyst Ted Kravitz set out the extent of the repairs. Ferrari even replaced parts that weren’t directly affected.
After arriving in the garage, Hamilton made sure to shake hands with each individual mechanic and offer his thanks. They had to rush to get the car ready.
This behaviour shows exactly why Hamilton is a champion. He makes each team member feel valued and doesn’t shy away from his mistakes, leading by example.
“Lewis Hamilton’s just come down from saying hello to the prince and is thanking every one of his mechanics for rebuilding his car, so there’s an entirely new rear end – new gearbox, new left suspension even though that wasn’t damaged, new right suspension, that was very much damaged, and new rear wing and wheel hubs as well,” Kravitz said.
“It’s quicker than just the damaged bits. There’s a new nose and new right-front suspension.
“Lewis has got good reason to thank the mechanics because they’ve only just finished the job and just now are buttoning up the car and getting it ready for qualifying.”
Lewis Hamilton has completely changed his attitude at Ferrari
Earlier in the season, Hamilton cut a dejected figure at Ferrari. After the race in Saudi Arabia, where he finished seventh, he almost wrote off the remainder of the season.
He conceded that the rest of the season would be ‘painful’, but he’s since found some cause for optimism. The 40-year-old finished on the podium in the Miami Sprint and bagged his best Grand Prix result of the year in Miami.
Coming into the Monaco weekend, Hamilton sounded much more upbeat than Charles Leclerc, his Ferrari teammate. He was enthused by the prospect of driving the scarlet red car around the iconic streets.
Hamilton says he needs to be kinder to himself after a series of intensely self-critical answers in interviews. The team may respond positively if he expresses motivation instead.
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