Hamilton : Ferrari Brakes Feel Like a Dangerous Gamble

Lewis Hamilton slams Ferrari’s braking inconsistency, calling it a major risk and likening it to a dangerous gamble this F1 season.

Hamilton says his braking performance this season has felt like a lottery, unpredictable and frustrating, despite early signs of progress during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend.

Now driving for Ferrari, Hamilton is using Brembo brakes instead of the Carbon Industrie ones he had at Mercedes. The seven-time world champion spent most of the first practice session in Imola voicing his concerns over braking issues.

Those problems, he explained, overshadowed what could have been a surprising step forward thanks to some subtle updates to the car. But the real challenge now lies in getting consistent brake performance.

“The first session actually felt good,” Hamilton said. “I was really happy with the car, it felt like we’d made real progress. We made two really tiny changes, the smallest we’ve done all season, and suddenly the brakes became a big issue.”

“It’s been like that since the start of the year. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. For me, this is all new.”

He made it clear the issue isn’t about adjusting to a new team, it’s about how unpredictable the braking is.

“It’s not the transition, it’s the performance. One lap you hit the brakes and they work, the next they don’t. It’s like pulling a number out of a hat. Hopefully, we’ll sort it out by Saturday. We’re working on it, no doubt.”