LEWIS HAMILTON crashed his upgraded Mercedes at the end of a practice session – just hours before qualifying at Monaco is set to begin.
The seven-times world champion slid into the wall at the iconic circuit after misjudging his breaking.
GettyHamilton triggered the red flag at the end of FP3 after crashing at Mirabeau[/caption]
ReutersStewards had to usher the stubborn Mercedes car off the tight and twisty circuit[/caption]
ReutersA crane was needed to airlift Hamilton’s car off the track[/caption]
GettyHamilton would have been in high spirits heading to the Monaco paddock with plenty of upgrades set to turbocharge his car[/caption]
His Mercedes car was then stuck in the barriers with clear damage to his left front wheel at the Mirabeau corner.
It’s a nightmare for the Mercedes man who will need to pray mechanics can fix his car before qualifying in just a few hours time.
The job should be more than achievable but it is not ideal preparation for Hamilton, who was looking to set a fast lap in the final practice session.
He and teammate George Russell have new upgrades to deal with in this race as Mercedes look to turn their season around.
The constructors have brought in a tonne of new parts as they look to catch up to Max Verstappen‘s Red Bull team.
The new parts include a new floor, new sidepods, a changed front suspension and a tweaked rear wing.
The upgrades were suppose to arrive in the last race for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix before flooding in northern Italy saw the race cancelled.
The signs have been encouraging for Hamilton so far.
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Hamilton and Russell will enjoy plenty of new parts in their Mercedes car this weekend
He finished third-fastest in Free Practice 1 before coming sixth-fastest in the second session yesterday.
His crash today follows similar incidents yesterday for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon of Williams, with both also having been caught out by the tight and twisty nature of F1’s most famous track.
The unique elements of Monaco’s layout means fans are expecting an exciting qualifying session.
Traditional tracks and even other street circuits have been dominated by Red Bull this season but their blistering pace will not be as advantageous at Monaco.
Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin will all be hoping to upset the championship leaders this weekend.
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