Lewis Hamilton was criticized by Anthony Davidson after continuing to drive his damaged Ferrari during TL3 in Madrid. For the former Formula 1 driver and current Sky Sports commentator, the attitude sent an inappropriate message to young drivers.
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Hamilton crashed at the last corner of the session, causing a red flag. Even with a flat tire and the front wing stuck under the car, he managed to move away from the wall and tried to bring the single-seater back to the pits.
Davidson assessed that the team should have provided clearer information to the driver about the risks of the situation: “The team needs to give him more information. They need to say that the front wing is under the car and that the race director will give us a penalty for that,” he said during the Sky Sports broadcast.
Despite repeated instructions from his race engineer to stop in a safe place, Hamilton tried to take the Ferrari to the pits. He only stopped the journey at the exit of turn 14, after being informed that he had received a direct order from the race director.
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This decision also prompted a warning from Davidson to younger drivers: “Any young driver watching, you don’t do that. You just don’t,” he added.
The commentator explained that the rule exists to avoid even more dangerous situations. According to Davidson, the front wing could come off completely and lift the front wheels of the car while there were marshals on the track, potentially hitting them, so it would be necessary to consider all these possible scenarios.
The session resumed after the incident, and Kimi Antonelli set the best time, while Hamilton finished ninth. So far, the FIA has not yet informed whether the British driver will receive a penalty, with the possibility of a fine or sporting sanction.
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