Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur firmly dismissed concerns about Lewis Hamilton’s SF-25 being unsafe during the final laps of the Singapore Grand Prix, emphasizing the car’s condition was controlled as Hamilton reduced his speed. The incident, involving Lewis Hamilton brake issues, sparked heated exchanges as Hamilton struggled with braking failures while fighting for position in the Marina Bay circuit on lap 61 of the 62-lap race.
Hamilton’s Brake Problems Surface During Closing Laps
Lewis Hamilton opted for a two-stop strategy at Singapore to chase down Mercedes driver George Russell and push for a strong finish. As Hamilton closed in on his former teammate Kimi Antonelli, his brake troubles became evident. He informed his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, “losing my brakes, mate,” before adding sharply,
“I’m losing big time. I’ve lost my brakes, lost my left front.”
Despite his warnings, Hamilton continued driving at a reduced pace but struggled to maintain track limits, which led to several violations.
The pressure mounted as Fernando Alonso rapidly approached from behind, while Hamilton conceded position to Charles Leclerc. Adami kept updating Hamilton on the shrinking gap to Alonso, who was gaining just seconds behind. Despite instructions to “lift and coast,” Hamilton responded defiantly in frustration:
“Ah! I’m not trying to cut corners, mate!”
However, his handling deteriorated, prompting race officials to display the black-and-white flag signaling unsportsmanlike conduct, as Alonso registered complaints over Hamilton’s on-track performance.
Visibly upset, Hamilton vented over team radio, questioning his own safety:
“I cannot f***ing believe it… Is it safe to drive with no brakes? Five seconds, minimum!”
He further challenged the stewards by stating,
“For me, you cannot drive when the car is not safe, you know. Sometimes, they try to disqualify me with no mirror, and now you have no brakes, and everything is fine? I doubt it.”
His concerns were partially validated when he received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits despite his brake failure, as the stewards ruled the infractions unjustified by mechanical issues.
Ferrari’s Response on the Safety of Hamilton’s Car
The situation ignited debate over whether Hamilton’s Ferrari was safe to keep on the circuit at such a critical moment. Fred Vasseur reassured the media that despite the challenges, the team managed the situation carefully.
“We all know that Singapore, when you are in the middle of the pack, it’s difficult for the brakes,”
Vasseur explained, highlighting the circuit’s notorious brake demand.
When asked if safety was compromised, Vasseur emphasized:
“In terms of safety, yes, because we adapted pace. It’s not that Lewis was pushing like hell in the last lap. He was 30 seconds slower. In terms of safety, it was on the safe side.”
With a wry tone, Vasseur added,
“The target is to be safe, but the target is not to be 30 seconds slower.”
Race Performance Impacted by Early Brake Overheating
Hamilton qualified sixth, with teammate Charles Leclerc just behind in seventh. The two Ferrari drivers finished sixth and eighth respectively, both affected by overheating issues. Leclerc trailed race winner George Russell by 45 seconds, while Hamilton, after the penalty was applied, was approximately 40 seconds further back.
Fred Vasseur revealed that braking troubles began almost from the start of the race:
“We were overheating, not from lap 1, but from lap 2 or 3. We had to do a lift and coast of the race.”
He acknowledged the difficulty drivers faced in adapting to the issues, explaining:
“Even for them, at the end, it’s not easy to drive, because you have to adapt your braking point each lap.”
Vasseur detailed the challenges of managing the car’s balance and braking under strain:
“Clearly, when we pushed a couple of laps with Lewis, I think the pace was decent. But you can’t do 95 per cent of the race on the back foot and doing management.”
He admitted uncertainty about how Ferrari would have compared to rivals without these problems:
“Honestly, I don’t know. I think we did a couple of laps with them, but then you don’t know.”
He further elaborated on the complexity of adapting braking technique during the race, saying:
“It’s not just a matter of doing lift and coast where you are losing a little bit on the end of the straight, it’s also finding the right braking point and all the race we are a bit more, a bit less, a bit more, a bit less, a bit more on the rear, a bit more on the front, you have to change the right balance, and at the end that you lose probably more.”
Championship Implications and Ferrari’s Challenge Ahead
Ferrari currently trails Mercedes by 27 points in the Constructors’ Championship standings, with Red Bull applying pressure just eight points behind the Scuderia for the third spot. These technical struggles and strategic impediments put Ferrari at a crucial juncture as the 2025 Formula 1 season progresses.
Hamilton’s brake issues have highlighted the fine margins that separate teams at this level and the risks involved in managing a failing car under race conditions. Ferrari’s capacity to resolve these problems will likely influence their ability to compete against Mercedes and Red Bull going forward.
