Lewis Hamilton's challenging debut season with Ferrari took another dramatic turn on Saturday, as the seven-time world champion crashed during final practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Practice Session Incident at Yas Marina
The incident occurred at the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday, 6th December 2025. During the third and final practice session, Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari at turn nine, spinning into the barriers. The 40-year-old British driver immediately apologised to his team over the radio for the significant damage sustained by the car.
A Race Against Time for Repairs
Hamilton's Scuderia Ferrari mechanics now face a frantic race against the clock to repair the car before the crucial qualifying session later that day. This setback compounds what has been a deeply frustrating first campaign with the Italian team for Hamilton, who is yet to finish on the podium this year.
A Season of Struggle for Hamilton
The crash is the latest chapter in what Hamilton himself has labelled "the worst season ever". His qualifying performances have been a particular point of struggle in recent races, having failed to progress beyond the first qualifying segment (Q1) in his last three attempts. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks the final opportunity of the 2025 season to salvage a positive result from what he described as a "nightmare" year.
With the car heavily damaged and time short, the pressure is immense on Hamilton and the Ferrari team to turn their fortunes around at the final hurdle.
