The 2025 Singapore Grand Prix was a tale of frustration for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton’s late charge for a top-five finish dramatically derailed by a critical brake failure.
The drama unfolded in the closing stages after Hamilton, utilizing a two-stop strategy on soft tyres, had been cleared to pass teammate Charles Leclerc and was rapidly catching Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli. However, the excessive strain proved too much for the Ferrari’s braking system.
Leclerc, who finished sixth, was quick to point out the team’s underlying weakness, stating the issue had been present from early in the race and that the soft tyres pushed Hamilton into a “very difficult situation” that the brakes “couldn’t handle.”
The situation resulted in a chaotic finish for Hamilton, who quickly lost pace. After crossing the line, he was handed a five-second penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits while struggling with his car, dropping him from seventh to eighth place.
This led to an angry radio message from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who finished seventh, suggesting Hamilton received preferential treatment from stewards.
The race saw McLaren Racing officially clinch the Constructors’ Championship (650 points) with six rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, in the Drivers’ standings, Oscar Piastri (336 points) maintained his lead over teammate Lando Norris (314), while Leclerc (173 points) extended his gap over Hamilton (127 points).
Ferrari now heads to the USA Grand Prix in Austin facing major questions about the reliability and thermal management of their package.
