Lewis Hamilton admitted his Dutch Grand Prix retirement was 'painful' after a race-ending crash that he said caught him by 'complete surprise.'
The seven-time world champion had been running just behind Ferrari teammate George Russell in seventh place when disaster struck on lap 23 at Zandvoort.
Exiting the banked Turn 3, Hamilton lost control after clipping the painted edge of the corner, which had been made treacherous by a light drizzle.
His SF-25 snapped sideways, and although he tried to correct the slide, the car speared into the wall, causing heavy damage to the left-front and forcing him out of the race.
Lewis Hamilton admitted his Dutch Grand Prix retirement was 'painful' after a race-ending crash that he said caught him by 'complete surprise'
|REUTERS
Speaking after his retirement, Hamilton revealed the crash came only moments after he had suggested Ferrari might attempt an undercut to get ahead of Russell.
“Yeah, no I didn’t really want the undercut necessarily, at that time,” Hamilton said.
“I was just saying that we would have to probably try and undercut them at some point.
"But it was more I wanted to go long, my tyres were still feeling good.
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"It just took me by complete surprise, what just happened there. I lost the rear end up the bank, and that was it.”
For Hamilton, the accident was especially difficult to take because it came during a weekend where he felt Ferrari had made genuine progress.
Despite not having the outright pace to challenge for the podium, the 40-year-old said his confidence in the car had improved compared with earlier races this season.
“Apart from that, it’s been a really solid weekend,” he said.
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Lewis Hamilton crashes OUT of the Dutch Grand Prix 💥😳 pic.twitter.com/wruPWNXzlr
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025
“And we made lots of… I felt like I made progress, just overall approach and everything. And so to come away with nothing is definitely painful.”
The crash marked Hamilton’s second retirement of the 2025 campaign and came at a circuit where conditions often create unpredictable races.
Zandvoort’s unique high-banked corners, combined with a drizzle that briefly made the racing line slippery, exposed even the most experienced drivers to mistakes.
The incident also ended what had been shaping into a strategic battle within Ferrari.
Russell, running ahead of Hamilton on a similar strategy, eventually finished sixth, securing solid points.
But Hamilton’s DNF means he slips further behind in the internal fight, with Russell continuing to edge him in the standings.
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Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated after he secured no points at the Dutch Grand Prix
|REUTERS
For a driver still chasing his first victory since 2021, the crash represents another setback in a season where Ferrari have shown flashes of competitiveness but struggled to match McLaren consistently.
Hamilton, however, struck a philosophical tone despite his frustration, acknowledging that Zandvoort highlighted both the progress Ferrari have made and the fine margins of error that remain.
Ferrari now turn their attention to Monza, their home race, where expectations will inevitably be higher. Hamilton will be desperate to put the disappointment of Zandvoort behind him and secure a strong result in front of the Tifosi.