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November 14, 2025
Ferrari radio messages have uncovered the extent of Lewis Hamilton‘s brake failure during Formula 1‘s Singapore Grand Prix that resulted to a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
The seven-time world champion endured a nightmare throughout the closing laps at the demanding Marina Bay Street Circuit after losing his brakes, forcing him to carefully nurse his Ferrari SF-25 around the circuit.
The brake failure was first communicated via radio to his race engineer Riccardo Adami revealing the extent of the mechanical problem and the immense challenge Hamilton faced in maintaining control and speed.
On lap 60 of 62, Hamilton radioed the team calmly stating, “Losing my brakes, mate,” indicating a critical failure that was impacting his car’s performance.
In response, Adami advised a “lift and coast” technique to manage the problem – a strategy where the driver eases off the throttle early and coasts into braking zones to reduce strain on the brakes.
However, a couple of turns later the issue went from bad to worse as Hamilton admitted, “Yeah, I’m losing big time,” and then confirmed, “I’ve lost my brakes, lost my left front.”
The brake failure made it increasingly difficult for Hamilton to slow the car effectively, particularly on high-speed braking points and forced him to back off to cool the braking system when sparks flew beneath his SF-25.
The brake issue emerged at a critical juncture as the British driver was battling hard to improve his race position, targeting to overtake Kimi Antonelli for sixth place.
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Earlier in the race, Hamilton had shown competitive pace and skill including a strategic second pit stop for fresh Soft tyres which allowed him to mount a late charge. However, the failing brakes rapidly eroded his ability to push and defend his position.
Despite his struggle, Hamilton managed to keep ahead of Fernando Alonso who was aggressively pressuring the Ferrari as he vented frustration over the perceived danger of Lewis Hamilton’s brake failure.
Hamilton’s efforts to manage the brake issue while maintaining race pace led him to repeatedly exceed track limits in an attempt to keep the car on track and fend off the charging Aston Martin.
The breach was visibly apparent as Adami instructed the driver “Don’t cut the corners” and the team likely understood very well at this point that a penalty was coming.
“I can’t stop the car, the brakes don’t work,” Hamilton is quoted in last Ferrari radio messages. ”Pedal was to the floor Surely it’s not a penalty with the force majeure.
“First time I’ve had brake failure… that was definitely difficult. Sorry to lose the points, but… yeah. Nice try.”
This did not go unnoticed by the race stewards, who conducted a post-race review and later concluded the Ferrari was in breach of track limits.
Consequently, Hamilton was handed a five-second time penalty which was applied after the race, demoting him from seventh to eighth place. As a result, Fernando Alonso was promoted to seventh much to his team’s relief.
Despite the penalty, Hamilton was able to set the fastest lap of the race earlier on, underscoring his resilience and skill under pressure.
“It was an okay race, I didn’t get a great start. It was very difficult to overtake and I was kind of stuck in position,” Hamilton explained after the race.
“At the end I was catching Kimi and then brakes gave up. You saw the spark come out of the left front and then I just had to back off to cool them down.
“When I cooled them down they came back a little bit, but still not back at the end.”
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