Hamilton retires with brake problem as Leclerc takes fourth for Ferrari in Spain
Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Scuderia Ferrari HP at the Spanish Grand Prix, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton retired on lap 3 with a brake problem.
- 14th
- 12
- 4th
- 3
What Happened
Scuderia Ferrari HP left the Spanish Grand Prix with fourth place and 12 points, all scored by Charles Leclerc. The race was the fourteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship and took place at the new Madring circuit. Leclerc started fifth on Hards, moved into the lead during the race, and then a late stop for Soft tyres dropped him to fourth at the finish. Team-mate Lewis Hamilton started fourth on Soft tyres but retired on lap 3 with a brake problem, after briefly running third.
Lewis Hamilton made a good start and passed Max Verstappen for third, but Verstappen cut the chicane, retook the position and also moved ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton ran fifth, ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen let Antonelli and Hamilton through, but Hamilton suffered a brake problem and was forced to retire. Leclerc was fourth, behind Verstappen.
Lance Stroll stopped on track, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car. Antonelli and Verstappen pitted, moving Leclerc up to second; when the Virtual Safety Car period ended, Lando Norris pitted anyway to change tyres, putting Leclerc in the lead.
Leclerc pitted for Soft tyres and rejoined fourth, behind Antonelli, Verstappen and Norris.
There were no more changes, so Scuderia Ferrari HP left Spain with fourth place and 12 points courtesy of Leclerc.
- Started fourth on Soft tyres, retired on lap 3 with a brake problem
- Started fifth on Hards, finished fourth
- 12, all from Leclerc's fourth place
12
Charles Leclerc's fourth place was the team's only points finish; Lewis Hamilton retired on lap 3.
- Clear skies
- Air temperature of 30 degrees
- Track temperature of 53 degrees
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Earlier in the weekend, Charles Leclerc was second fastest and Lewis Hamilton third in second free practice at the Madring circuit, the pair completing 49 laps. In the opening practice session, Leclerc was third and Hamilton fourth as they completed 54 laps between them. Ahead of the weekend, Hamilton played down any advantage from his July filming-day laps at the new circuit and said Ferrari must focus on executing the Spanish Grand Prix weekend as well as possible.
- Leclerc second, Hamilton third for Ferrari in Spanish Grand Prix second practice
- Ferrari takes third and fourth in Spanish Grand Prix opening practice at new Madring circuit
- Hamilton plays down Madring filming-day laps as Ferrari targets strong Spanish Grand Prix weekend
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Ferrari's 12 points in Spain came entirely from Charles Leclerc, after Lewis Hamilton's early retirement removed one of its two scoring cars from the race. The result is the team's outcome at the fourteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, held at the new Madring circuit. For fans following the team, it is the race-day conclusion to a weekend of practice and preparation at that circuit.
Terms in This Story
- Virtual Safety Car
- A race-control procedure that slows the whole field to a set speed while a hazard, such as a stopped car, is cleared from the track.
- Chicane
- A tight sequence of corners, usually used to slow cars before a straight or a braking zone.
- Soft tyres
- The grippiest of Formula 1's dry-weather tyre compounds, offering more pace but wearing out faster than harder tyres.
- Hards
- The most durable of Formula 1's dry-weather tyre compounds, trading outright grip for longer life.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.