Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) down to P11 after a breakdown: “Of course it’s frustrating”

Just under thirty minutes had passed in the second free practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix when it happened. Out of the blue, Ferrari race engineer Carlo Santi issued this warning to Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton: “Lewis, we need to stop the car.”

The seven-time world champion pulled the Ferrari over to the left-hand side of the track, triggering a virtual safety car period. The Englishman climbed out of the car – and that was that.

Earlier, Lewis had reported over the radio: “I’ve lost all engine power.”

The 30 minutes lost by the Brit mean: no experience with the soft tyres, and a gap in experience compared to Leclerc. His weekend has become more difficult.

Hamilton shortly after practice: “I’ve no idea what happened there; they just told me to stop the car.”

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“What’s a bit frustrating is that, up until then, the car felt really good. I think we’ve done a good job with the set-up adjustments. The car’s balance was encouraging. Even just before I had to stop, I was going very fast. The Ferrari is handling really well.”

“Of course, it’s a shame to have lost that time. But the overriding impression is that we’ve got a good car here. Even if little has changed in terms of top speed – Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are massively faster at the end of the straights. We’re losing two or three tenths of a second there.”

“Charles has shown that we’re right up there with them. Of course, I can’t say yet what will happen in qualifying. It seems the others can often step it up a gear there. But there’s no point in worrying about the opposition anyway. We need to focus on our own performance.”