Bernie Collins heard total ‘confusion’ on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari radio before Las Vegas GP Q1 exit

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has qualified in last place on pure pace for the first time in his F1 career, after bowing out of Q1 at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix down in P20.

Rain drenched Sin City ahead of qualifying on Saturday and made the Las Vegas Strip Circuit incredibly tricky, as drivers wrestled for control of their cars around the 3.853-mile venue in Q1. While Hamilton stayed on the road, he could not unlock any pace from his Ferrari SF-25.

Hamilton could only set a personal-best lap time of 1:57.115 for P20 in Q1, as Mercedes ace George Russell topped the opening phase with a 1:53.115. The 40-year-old was even 0.317s slower than Yuki Tsunoda (P19) and 1.099s off Oliver Bearman (P15) in the final spot for Q2.

Lewis Hamilton asked Ferrari, ‘Am I safe?’, before his Q1 exit at the 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP

The 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP is now Hamilton’s worst qualifying result as a Ferrari driver so far. Hamilton’s P16 in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in July had marked his previous-worst qualifying result since he moved to Maranello from Mercedes ahead of the 2025 F1 season.

READ MORE: Everything to know about the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix including past winners

Saturday also saw Hamilton bow out in Q1 for the second time as a Scuderia star and fail to reach Q3 for the seventh time during a Grand Prix qualifying session this term. And Bernie Collins heard “a lot of confusion” over Ferrari’s radio before Hamilton’s Q1 exit in Las Vegas.

Collins said on Sky Sports F1 (22/11, 04:20): “There seemed to be a lot of confusion. He did get to the line, he was able to do that final lap. Lewis then came on the radio and asked, ‘Am I safe?’ So, he wasn’t given the information at that point to know he was outside the top 15.

“There was some sort of light on his dash that he then questioned. Twice, the engineer came on and said, ‘Push’. But a bit of confusion, [and] he’d already aborted that first sector.”

The confusion on Hamilton’s radio at the end of Q1 arose as the Ferrari driver was not sure whether or not he had the time remaining in the session to attempt another flying lap. The record 104-time Grand Prix polesitter had crossed the line right before the chequered flag.

Lewis Hamilton qualifying P20 for the 2025 Las Vegas GP ‘doesn’t seem right’ to Jenson Button

Collins sharing the “confusion” on Hamilton’s radio as he finished qualifying for the 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP in P20 concerned the Briton’s former McLaren teammate, Jenson Button. The 2009 F1 champion also noted that it “doesn’t seem right” to see Hamilton only qualify P20.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Button responded: “I mean, when you’re in that position, P20, your team should be telling you to push to the line to get that final lap, first of all. I don’t know if they were. And then giving him a lot of encouragement.

“It’s such a shame. He’s a rain master. To see him down in P20 doesn’t seem right.”

Hamilton has qualified P20 in the past, but the 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP marks the first time he has finished last in a qualifying session on pure pace through his 19-year F1 career. He now faces a frustrating recovery drive on Sunday at the track where he last reached the podium.

After qualifying P10 in Sin City last season, Hamilton finished the 2024 Las Vegas GP in P2 for a Mercedes one-two behind race-winner and polesitter Russell by 7.313s. Hamilton has not reached another rostrum over the 23 Grands Prix he has contested since last November.