Sport
Hamilton smashes into barriers and argues with Ferrari team at ‘car killer’ track
Key Points
But following repeated requests from his team to stop, he eventually pulled over, returning to the pits on the back of a scooter instead. The incident immediately brought out red flags at the Madring, F1’s newest circuit, which has garnered headlines this week for being “mental” and “crazy”. Hamilton locked up at Turn 22, going straight on at the right-hander and shunting into the barriers.
But following repeated requests from his team to stop, he eventually pulled over, returning to the pits on the back of a scooter instead.
The incident immediately brought out red flags at the Madring, F1’s newest circuit, which has garnered headlines this week for being “mental” and “crazy”.
Hamilton locked up at Turn 22, going straight on at the right-hander and shunting into the barriers. After engaging reverse, Hamilton attempted to return the car to the pits, much to his race engineer Carlo Santi’s consternation.
“We have the wing under the wheels,” Santi told him. “Stop in the safest place possible.”
Hamilton replied: “If I can make it back I will. If I can’t, I’ll do it safely.”
Santi continued: “We have a puncture in the front right, stop the car.”
Hamilton again ignored the request, saying: “I can see that.”
Santi tried a third time: “Stop the car in the safest point you can find. It’s the race director asking.”
Hamilton insisted one final time: “I can make it back safely!”
But Santi would not let him. “It’s a formal request,” he said.