Lewis Hamilton Runs Out of Fuel in Embarrassing Ferrari Blunder at B… read more
Lewis Hamilton faced a major scare during qualifying at the British Grand Prix, as an astonishing fuel miscalculation from Ferrari nearly cost him a spot in Q2. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who joined Ferrari for the 2025 season, was forced to abort a potential second flying lap in Q1 after his team mistakenly fueled his car for only one attempt. The blunder left Hamilton hanging dangerously close to elimination in the opening phase of qualifying, further highlighting Ferrari’s lingering operational inconsistencies despite recent performance gains.
Throughout the weekend at Silverstone, Ferrari appeared to have found a fresh vein of pace. Both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc had looked competitive in the practice sessions, leading many to believe that the team could challenge McLaren and Red Bull for pole position. The Tifosi were optimistic, with hopes that Hamilton could deliver something special at his home Grand Prix — a track where he has triumphed a record eight times. However, qualifying told a different story, as Ferrari’s strategic error nearly undid all of the progress made earlier in the weekend.
The drama unfolded in Q1 when Hamilton, after completing his first timed lap, inquired via team radio whether he had enough fuel to attempt another flying lap. His race engineer, Riccardo Adami, responded with a deflating “negative,” confirming that car No. 44 had insufficient fuel for another run. This meant that Hamilton, who had only set a single lap time, had to watch helplessly from the garage as other drivers attempted to better his time.
With each passing moment, Hamilton’s lap was pushed further down the order. The Briton dropped to P14, teetering on the edge of elimination. Had a few more drivers improved their times — including Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson — Hamilton could have been knocked out of Q1 at his home race in front of a packed Silverstone crowd. Fortunately for the Ferrari driver, the remaining challengers failed to dislodge him, and he narrowly advanced to Q2, much to the relief of both the team and his legions of fans.
Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton addressed the incident candidly in an interview with Sky Sports’ Natalie Pinkham. He acknowledged that Ferrari’s misstep in Q1 was a serious oversight that added unnecessary risk to his qualifying campaign. “I think the timing was off,” Hamilton said. “We only had fuel for one lap, and there was still time on the table to do a cool down and go again. Big risk, and that was definitely not well executed overall.” He added, however, that the team regrouped and performed better in the subsequent Q2 and Q3 sessions, salvaging the remainder of qualifying.
Despite recovering to reach Q3, Hamilton was unable to mount a serious challenge for pole, with Ferrari ultimately trailing behind the pace set by McLaren and Red Bull. The 40-year-old British driver remains winless with Ferrari and is still searching for his first podium with the Scuderia. Nevertheless, the qualifying outcome — and Ferrari’s fuel miscalculation — have cast fresh doubts over the team’s ability to consistently manage high-pressure sessions, even with a seasoned driver like Hamilton at the wheel.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted that overtaking the dominant McLarens and resurgent Red Bulls would be a tall order. “I think it will be very, very hard to beat the McLarens or the Red Bulls,” he said. “But where there’s a will, there’s a way, so I’ll give absolutely everything tomorrow.” His remarks reflect both his trademark resilience and the uphill battle Ferrari still faces in closing the gap to their main rivals.
This latest qualifying episode is a sobering reminder for Ferrari that speed alone won’t win races — execution, timing, and attention to detail are just as vital. For Hamilton, the dream of securing a ninth British GP win and his first Ferrari podium lives on, but it will require not only a flawless drive from him but also mistake-free support from his team. With the crowd firmly behind him and motivation as high as ever, the home hero will be gunning for redemption on Sunday, hoping to turn a qualifying mishap into a triumphant race-day recovery.
