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Ferrari Investigates Brake Failure After Hamilton Spanish DNF

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 11:46 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hamilton Denies Replacement Request

Lewis Hamilton denied reports that he asked Ferrari to replace any trackside staff.
He posted on Instagram saying he never requested anyone on his team be replaced.
His retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix after a brake failure left him 101 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
He stays third in the drivers’ standings with 191 points after his first DNF of the season.

Summary

Ferrari Launches Probe

Ferrari launched an internal investigation after Lewis Hamilton (driver) retired because of brake failure.
Team principal Fred Vasseur is reportedly on the hot seat amid criticism.
The SF-26 brake-by-wire failure originated from a secondary component malfunction.
Ferrari has not won a drivers' title in 19 years and a constructors' title in 18 years.
Insiders describe the team atmosphere as a vortex of missed opportunities with rising driver tensions.

History

Historical Context

In 2004 Ferrari’s F2004, unveiled on 26 January, won 15 of 18 races, gave Michael Schumacher his seventh and final Drivers’ Championship and secured Ferrari’s sixth straight Constructors’ title. The car’s reliability—only two retirements—and its 272-point tally marked the end of a five-year dominance, and Ferrari would not capture another Constructors’ championship until the 2010s, prompting continual technical overhauls.

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Hamilton Denies Replacement Request

Lewis Hamilton denied reports that he asked Ferrari to replace any trackside staff.
He posted on Instagram saying he never requested anyone on his team be replaced.
His retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix after a brake failure left him 101 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
He stays third in the drivers’ standings with 191 points after his first DNF of the season.

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