Source: Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Crash Was Caused By Brake Failure

Ferrari have not publicly commented on the incident or shared any details, but a source has informed London Insider that a brake failure was the reason for the mishap.

Lewis Hamilton’s pre-season testing crash was caused by a brake failure on his 2023 Ferrari, not a driver error, a source has revealed to London Insider.

The Briton made headlines after crashing in Spain and costing himself and team-mate Charles Leclerc running time as a result.

Ferrari have not publicly commented on the incident or shared any details, but a source has informed London Insider that a brake failure was the reason for the mishap.

“Lewis’ crash was due to a brake failure, no mistake from his side. Ferrari are keeping quiet to avoid embarrassment at the start of their partnership with him,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Hamilton is clearly eager for his first race as a Ferrari driver, saying it “can’t come soon enough.”

Ferrari’s Official Stance

While Hamilton emerged “absolutely fine,” Ferrari downplayed the incident as “perfectly normal” as he pushed the limits of his new car. However, the SF-23 sustained suspension and bodywork damage, prompting Ferrari to send a ‘specialist composites technician’ to Barcelona for further assessment, according to motors-addict.com.

The crash impacted Leclerc’s schedule, preventing him from running in the afternoon session. Instead, reserve drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and Degan Beganovic took to the track on the final day.

This isn’t the first time Hamilton has had pre-season setbacks, having crashed in testing with McLaren in 2007 and again with Mercedes in 2013. Still, he remained unfazed, sharing photos on social media with the caption: “First race can’t come soon enough.”

Hamilton will be back on track next week, driving a ‘mule’ version of last year’s SF-24 as Ferrari assists Pirelli with 2026 tyre testing at the Circuit de Catalunya. Ferrari is expected to run an “unprecedented” Monza-style low-downforce setup, as revealed by Italian journalist Rosario Giuliana.

Following that, Hamilton’s next outing will be Ferrari’s SF-25 shakedown before pre-season testing in Bahrain from 26-28 February. His debut race for Ferrari will be in Australia on 14 March.