FIGHTING FERRARI FIRMLY FREE FROM THE LEWIS HAMILTON QUALI CONFUSION LOSS
Analysis of Lewis Hamilton's costly Q1 error at the Las Vegas GP. Jenson Button & Bernie Collins explain the confusion between the timing line and red lights that led to him aborting his final lap.
Jenson Button and Bernie Collins have expressed their backing for Ferrari following the "confusion" that arose during Lewis Hamilton's last attempt in Q1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The seven-time F1 champion decided to halt what might have been his final lap, mistakenly thinking he hadn't reached the timing line in time to commence a new lap, as indicated by the red lights on his dashboard.
This decision resulted in him finishing in P20, last on the grid, after clocking the slowest time in the rain-drenched first qualifying session in Las Vegas.
For the first time in his F1 career, Hamilton will line up at the back due to his pace, having prematurely exited from a crucial final chance.
It quickly became clear that he had erred amid the chaos and poor conditions, but given that he had faced a yellow flag shortly before and had briefly contacted a bollard with his SF-25, he believed it wouldn't have significantly altered his performance.
Button, who was once Hamilton's teammate at McLaren, stressed the importance of continuing to push until advised to do otherwise, which the 105-time race winner failed to do.
"Continue until you're told to slow down," the 2009 F1 champion stated on Sky Sports F1.
"You should be aware of all the rules. It can be very challenging for a driver, especially when red lights appear in front of you, giving the impression that it's finished.
"However, the timing line is before that point, and he should know this since his dashboard displays the time for the previous lap.
"In such difficult conditions, with so many distractions, he may have been relieved that it seemed over, but he lost sight of what he needed to do for his next lap."
Was Hamilton to blame?
When it was mentioned that the Ferrari pit wall would have been aware of the tight situation, Button responded, "But they can't assume he understands that the timing line differs from the red light gantry," clarifying that the timing line and start/finish line are located at different spots.
Collins defended Riccardo Adami, Hamilton's race engineer, pointing out that he made efforts to ensure his driver did not lift off the throttle.
"I just wanted to add to that a bit. I was trying to catch it during the commentary, and I listened again when Lewis went out, as it was evident from the radio that there was some confusion regarding the light," Collins mentioned.
"On the lap prior, the one where he was approaching the line, the pit wall informed him that it would be closed for one more lap, urging him to keep pushing for another attempt.
This serves as a clear signal to a driver: first, that you’re not in a safe position if they urge you to push for another lap; secondly, that it's close to the limit, but they believe it's feasible, or they wouldn't suggest it.
"He received that message earlier in the lab. Then, as he approaches the line, Lewis inquires, "Am, am I secure?"
"His engineer responds, saying, 'No, keep up the pace.'" Lewis then says, 'I say, "I see the light, light; I see the red light."' The engineer reiterates, 'No, keep going.' reiterates, 'No,''
"However, by that moment, it’s already too late. He had initially been informed—though I didn’t review everything—prior to reaching the line that it would be tight and he needed to maintain his speed.
"When he saw the red light, he thought perhaps Ferrari miscalculated the timing, or he hadn’t completed the lap in time, or other factors played into it, as Jenson pointed out.
"He believed he hadn’t made it. He immediately eased off the throttle. At that point, it’s too late; once a driver slows down, there's no use in advising them to accelerate again, because the chance to complete the lap has already slipped away. All these elements contributed to what happened. Still, I'd argue that the Ferrari pit crew had provided the necessary information.
In response to accusations of favouritism toward Hamilton, with former Aston Martin race strategist Collin supporting the team, the 15-time Grand Prix champion replied, "No."
He continued: "It's a complex situation. He’s not the first to have made such a mistake.
"But indeed, the timing line differs from the finish line. That’s something you should be aware of since the time displays on your dashboard. We are all made aware of our lap times as we cross that line. "
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
