P1racenews AI automatic summary:
This was far worse than the groundhog incident in Canada. No wonder Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur detailed the extensive damage suffered by Lewis Hamilton’s car in the São Paulo Grand Prix. The collisions with Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto on the opening lap resulted in critical damage to Hamilton’s SF-25, particularly the floor. Despite efforts to continue, Hamilton’s car lost significant downforce, making it challenging to handle. Hamilton incurred a time penalty for the incidents and after serving it, the team decided to retire the car due to severe downforce loss. Vasseur confirmed the car was down 35 to 40 points of downforce, rendering it uncompetitive. The decision to retire was made to avoid further engine damage and low chances of scoring points in the compromised state of the car.
