Watch: “He thought he was Leclerc” – Fans react as Lewis Hamilton bins the W14 into the barriers in Monaco

Lewis Hamilton crashed the upgraded W14 in the ending stages of FP3 at the Monaco GP weekend.

Watch: “He thought he was Leclerc” – Fans react as Lewis Hamilton bins the W14 into the barriers in Monaco

Lewis Hamilton crashing into the barriers at Mirabeau, 2023 Monaco GP, image via Twitter

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were optimistic about the Monaco GP, with the team finally bringing its highly-anticipated sidepod upgrades. However, things have not gone as planned for the 7-time world champion. Lewis brought the final practice session to an early end after ending up in the barriers in the ending stages of the session.

The 38-year-old was heading into the Maribeau corner but lost the rear end after locking up the brakes. This left no option but for the Mercedes driver to make contact with the barriers. A frustrated Hamilton apologized to his team on the team radio after the incident. Lewis had set the fastest time in sector 1 of the circuit and could’ve pulled a decent lap time.

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Unfortunately, the Mercedes garage will have to work swiftly before the Qualifying session to allow Hamilton to take part in the session. The Monaco GP is perhaps the best opportunity for Lewis and George Russell after the team introduced its first round of upgrades. Thankfully, it is believed that the Silver Arrows are carrying enough spare parts.

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“Lewis ready for Ferrari” – Fans compare Lewis Hamilton’s crash with Ferrari drivers

Lewis Hamilton, Monaco GP image via Twitter
Lewis Hamilton, Monaco GP image via Twitter

Fans on Twitter were amused after Lewis’ crash. One user joked that the 7-time world champion was probably looking at his own in Monte Carlo. The fan user commented, “He was looking at his house apparently”. At the same time, another fan took a lighthearted approach about Mercedes making changes to Hamilton’s car after this incident. The fan said, “Now the team REALLY need to change the car”.

On the other hand, another user stated that perhaps Lewis was learning a lesson from home hero Charles Leclerc as the Monegasque is famous for crashing at his home track. The user replied, “He thought he was Leclerc”. One fan believed that now the 7-time world champion was genuinely ready to join Scuderia Ferrari. The fan wrote, “Lewis ready for Ferrari”.

https://twitter.com/HKAUG82/status/1662420322312679425?s=20

Thus, Lewis Hamilton is certainly not happy with his incident in FP3. This puts the team under pressure mere hours before the start of Qualifying. The Qualifying session at the Monaco GP is potentially the most important one-lap session on the calendar. It remains to be seen how the 7-time world champion bounces back from this minor upset.

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