Lewis Hamilton recounts 'nerve-racking' Ferrari failure which led to FIA penalty

Lewis Hamilton has recounted the "nerve-racking" brake failure he suffered in the Singapore Grand Prix, but accepted the FIA's penalty.

After a late charge to try and pass Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes, Hamilton suffered a brake failure aboard his Ferrari in the closing laps at Marina Bay, and fell back to seventh place as old rival Fernando Alonso took nearly 45s out of the limping Ferrari in the closing laps.

Hamilton took to cutting corners in his attempt to bring the car home, finishing less than half a second clear of Alonso, who expressed his desire for Hamilton to be penalised for cutting the track.

The FIA stewards handed him a five-second penalty, promoting Alonso to seventh with Hamilton eighth, but the seven-time champion expressed no problems with the penalty as he recounted the situation ahead of the United States GP. 

"The last few laps were definitely nerve-racking," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365, in Austin.

"I've finished one race in the past (2020 British GP) on three tyres and I've now finished a race with three brakes, but it is definitely not something I want to experience again, that's for sure.

"But I couldn't stop the car; it was one of those scenarios where the pedal went straight to the end, and there was nothing there.

"So I had no choice but to go onto those exit roads; otherwise, I wouldn't have made it around the corners, and I think the penalty was fine.

"It doesn't make a big difference to me."