Lewis Hamilton was involved in an accident during the final practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix at a speed of 175 mph, forcing the Ferrari team to race against the clock with only two and a half hours left to repair the car before qualifying.
The seven-time world champion was unharmed despite losing his front right tire and having the rear wheel wrapped in red advertising tape. The crash occurred at the end of the third practice session, just after his teammate Charles Leclerc had set the fastest time, continuing his impressive form from Friday’s two practice sessions.
Lewis Hamilton crashes at the Monaco GP, Ferrari races against time
Hamilton’s damaged car
Hamilton, a three-time winner in Monte Carlo, ran into trouble at the Massenet corner after unexpectedly seeing a car ahead of him coming over the crest. He braked, lost control, and collided with the barrier. “Damn it, hit the wall — sorry everyone,” he told his engineers over the radio, while he was sitting in fifth place on the leaderboard in the midst of heavy traffic.
Lewis Hamilton crashes at the Monaco GP, Ferrari races against time
He stopped at Casino Square for inspection, and the damage seemed possible to repair in time for qualifying. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who had just won at Imola the previous week, was in second place, 0.280 seconds behind Leclerc ahead of the pole battle at 3 p.m. BST.
