Ferrari launch 'thorough' investigation into Lewis Hamilton brake failure

Ferrari has promised a full investigation into the brake system failure that forced Lewis Hamilton out of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton had qualified fourth at the Madring, but retired after just six laps, ending his streak - and the last in F1 this season - of scoring points in every race.

The seven-time F1 champion confirmed after the race that the pedal dropped a step under braking for Turn 5, leaving him carrying too much speed and brushing a barrier. He explained that the pedal then returned to normal before going long again a few corners later.

Although Ferrari attempted to resolve the problem from the pit wall, the fault reappeared, forcing him out of the race.

"At this stage, we don't yet know the exact cause of the brake system issue that forced him to retire," said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, speaking to the media after the race, including RacingNews365. "But we will investigate it thoroughly.

"The pedal was long. We tried to fix it from the pit wall, and then it happened again."

A long pedal is typically traced to a hydraulic pressure loss. Ferrari has had recurring brake-feel issues this year, although it remains unclear whether the Madring failure is linked.

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Long game for Leclerc

Leclerc salvaged the weekend for Ferrari with fourth, 29.116s behind race winner Kimi Antonelli and just 0.713s clear of George Russell.

The Monégasque ran an extremely long opening stint on the hard tyre as Ferrari gambled on a stoppage that never came.

"Like a few other teams, we split the strategy, starting one car on the soft compound and the other on the hard," Vasseur explained.

"With Charles, we were leading the group that started on the hard tyre, and he drove a very strong first stint, pushing for almost 50 laps while maintaining good pace throughout.

"We knew there was a reasonable chance of a safety car or a red flag, so we decided to extend the stint and keep that opportunity open.

"A red flag could have put us in a position to fight for the win, while a late safety car could have given us a shot at third. In the end neither happened, but I think it was absolutely worth trying and Charles delivered a very solid performance."

Hamilton stays third in the drivers' standings on 191 points, with Leclerc fifth on 167 heading to the next grand prix in Azerbaijan on Saturday, September 26.