So, here’s the scoop: Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champ we all know, has been pretty vocal about his weekend in Brazil — and it wasn’t exactly a highlight reel. He got slapped with a five-second penalty after bumping into Alpine’s Franco Colapinto on lap one. Hamilton didn’t hold back on the team radio, calling the whole penalty situation “a complete joke.” Yep, those words came straight from the multiple world champion himself.
It wasn’t just the penalty that was a drag. Hamilton’s race kind of fell apart after his front wing broke, forcing him to retire on lap 40. Not exactly the comeback story Ferrari fans were hoping for. Post-race, he called it a weekend “to forget,” dragging out the contrast between the Ferrari driving dream he’s been dreaming and the results that have felt more like a nightmare lately. He started 13th on the grid, which already had that sinking feeling.
This isn’t the first time Hamilton has had a run-in with the stewards this season. Just recently, in Mexico, he got a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage off-track during a tussle with Max Verstappen. That one got him riled up too, pushing for more transparency and consistency in how race penalties are handed out. According to Lewis, the decisions are made behind a curtain, with little clarity — and they have serious consequences. They can even decide championships, after all.
Right now, Hamilton’s drought continues — no top-three finishes in 21 races with Ferrari, and the team has even slipped to fourth place in the constructors’ standings. It’s a lot to digest, especially when you consider the high hopes and shifting vibes inside the Ferrari camp.
Next stop? Las Vegas, where hopefully things will flip the script a bit. Until then, Hamilton’s keeping it real about the ups and downs of racing for Ferrari, and the frustrations that come with those spotty penalty calls.
