Hamilton blames Ferrari message for late Brazilian GP spin

Lewis Hamilton has said a message from the Ferrari pit wall about the weather contributed to a late spin during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Starting 20th after taking a new power unit, he gained 11 places on the opening lap but later struggled on the intermediate tyre and dropped back to 14th before switching to slicks.

Hamilton said he had asked Ferrari to pit for dry tyres earlier, and that acting on it sooner could have gained him ground. Instead he was told track conditions would not get worse, and he ended up a lap longer on slicks than those around him when rain returned. A spin on the climb out of the final corner dropped him behind Charles Leclerc, and he finished ninth, two points.

Hamilton said that in the greasy conditions he had been quicker than Liam Lawson, whom he had been catching for seventh before the spin.