Lewis Hamilton is breaking records left right and centre this season, but for all the wrong reasons. The seven times Formula One world champion is heading for his first ever season without finishing on the podium.
Further, he is now the Ferrari driver who has failed to make the podium for the longest number of Grand Prix. The previous record was eighteen.
The latest debacle in Hamilton’s Ferrari experience came in Las Vegas when for the first time in his career he has qualified last for performance reasons only. On his way back to the pits, Lewis reported over the radio, “Sorry. I just couldn’t get the tyres working.”
No need for ‘recharge lap’ in wet Las Vegas
Given the soaking wet conditions, the teams and driver would not have been using the incremental electrical boost from the hybrid. The incremental torque would have simply spun up the tyres, causing the driver problems.
To this end it wasn’t necessary for the drivers to do a recharge lap after each push lap they delivered in qualifying. Lewis was down in last place as the first qualifying session came to an end and was advised to keep pushing and that it would be tight at the line whether he cold get another lap in.
When asked if their was a problem with timing after the session Hamilton explained: No I got yellow flags coming into the last corer…so I had to have a lift, then when I came to the lit was red… so.” Yet it appears Hamilton made a big mistake given the chequered timing line is a long way behind the start line on the track.
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Hamilton made the timing line but didn’t know
The timing line is where the lap timer starts and finished and often is the same as the start/finish line around the world – but not in Las Vegas.
As he crossed the timing line the timing sheets showed he had made its with barely a second to go, yet Hamilton claims he saw the red lights which signal the session is over. Anthony Davidson for Sky has questioned weather Hamilton confused the timing line and the start line, which is a rookie mistake.
“Lewis was good to go when he crossed the chequered line. I’m not sure he had the speed to get through anyway, but it was clearly very close for Lewis to judge inside the car whether it was good to send it again one another lap,” Davidson questioned.
“Maybe he didn’t have the information from the team to say it was going to be tight, but ‘yes – we’ve made it – we’ve made it.’ It was clear on the timing screens he was safe [to do another lap] so somehow – Lewis was not armed with that information. For me he missed a valid push lap there,” concluded the former F1 driver and Sky pundit.
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Button says Hamilton “lost focus”
Jenson Button interjected, “Surely – if in doubt keep going until they tell you to slow down.” When asked whose fault it was, Button was reticent to blame his old team mate but admitted, “I guess you should know every regulation. Its really tricky though as a driver if you see red lights flash up in front of you – you think its over.”
“But the timing line is before that – and he knows that because he get’s the time on the dash for the previous lap time [as he crosses the timing line]. But the its that tricky out there, there’s so much going on – but he’s lost focus on what is correct on where he can start the next lap.”
The spotlight the shifted to Hamilton’s race engineer and the Ferrari pit wall whether they had done their job properly informing his driver of the possibilities. Button responded, “buy they don’t know that he doesn’t know that the timing line is different to the red light gantry.”
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Ferrari pit wall give Lewis the information
Ex-Aston Martin senior strategists Bernie Collins was listening in to the team radio messages and she had this to add. “I went back and listened to it when Lewis went out because it was clear there was some confusion over the lights,” she said.
“On the lap before as he approaches the line, the pit wall does tell him it’s going to be tight for one more lap – ‘keep pushing’ – ‘there is another lap’ I think was the phrase they used,” added Collins. “So this is a clear indication to the driver that ‘one – you’re not safe’ – cos they tell him to keep pushing and two that its tight fore the line, but they think its possible or they wound’t tell you that.”
“So, he was told that earlier on in the lap. Then when he crosses the line, Lewis says, ‘Am I safe?’ His engineer replies ‘no keep pushing’ but Lewis replied, ‘I got the light, I got the red light’ – and the engineer again replies ‘no keep pushing.’
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Hamilton “should have known”
But of course at that stage it was too late given Hamilton thought he didn’t have the extra lap and has slowed the car. He was given all the information that he was not safe and it was going to be tight and needed to keep pushing.
“To defend the Ferrari pit wall, I think all the information was there,” Collins concludes. After hearing this Jenson Button was asked would he still defend Hamilton – “No” was his response. “His not the first one whose probably made this mistake, but yes – the timing line is a different line to the gantry – you should know that because your time comes up on your dash… when you cross that line.”
Maybe Ferrari chairman John Elkann was right when he called for his drivers to talk less and “focus more.” The last time a Ferrari driver qualified last due to poor driving alone was at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009 – and it was Giancarlo Fisichella.
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Whilst Max Verstappen’s drive from pit lane to podium in Brazil was an epic watch, some of the competitors were unhappy with how Red Bull had turned their weekend around.
Following a troubled qualifying session that saw both Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda knocked out in Q1, Red Bull chose to install a fresh power unit in the four-time world champion’s car—forcing him to start from the pit lane. The gamble paid off despite an early-race puncture with Lando Norris admitting had Max Started a little higher up he would probably have won the race.
Red Bull fitting a new power unit which was outside the allocated four for the year was questioned by McLaren’s team boss Andreas Stella who stressed that McLaren would avoid making a performance-driven engine change because of the implications for the $135 million cost cap… READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
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