Martin Brundle sorry for Lewis Hamilton after Ferrari cause ‘sickening’ blow at Brazilian Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton failed to make the final phase of a qualifying session with Ferrari for the seventh time after bowing out in SQ2 for the Sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The 40-year-old has made his 18th visit to Interlagos to date this weekend for his 21st outing as a Ferrari driver. But while Hamilton has scored three Grand Prix wins and pole positions in Brazil over his previous trips, the seven-time champion only managed P11 in SQ2 this Friday.

Hamilton posted a personal-best effort of a 1:09.811 to miss out on a place in SQ3 by 0.076 seconds to Sauber ace Nico Hulkenberg. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc also only secured P9 in SQ2, as the Monegasque advanced with a 1:09.732 despite his late spin in the session.

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso set the pace during the second phase of qualifying for the F1 Sprint at the 2025 Sao Paulo GP with a 1:09.330. McLaren ace Lando Norris took pole for the Brazil Sprint with a 1:09.243, while Leclerc went on to qualify P8 with a 1:09.905 lap.

Martin Brundle feels sorry for Lewis Hamilton after Ferrari’s timing caused his SQ2 exit in Brazil

Martin Brundle felt sorry for Hamilton beyond his fellow Briton finishing Sprint Qualifying at the Sao Paulo GP in only P11, as Ferrari mistiming his final run ensured the record 104-time Grand Prix polesitter could not try a second flying lap at the end of SQ2 to improve his time.

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Hamilton was the first driver to take the chequered flag at the end of SQ2, having left it too late to begin his final flying run. Due to Ferrari’s management of the session, Hamilton was only just going through the Turn 13 kink as the chequered flag was unravelled to finish SQ2.

Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (07/11, 18:59): “Yeah, it’s sickening when you come through the final turn like that and see all the lights blaring away. And the first car to take the chequered flag is Lewis Hamilton, and he will play no further part in Sprint Qualifying.

“He won’t be happy about that, understandably. But, to be honest, it’s been on the cards with the Ferrari pace.”

Lewis Hamilton fails to reach SQ3 for the second time in the 2025 F1 season in Sao Paulo

Hamilton’s P11 finish in Sprint Qualifying at the Sao Paulo GP marks his second failure to get into SQ3 during the 2025 F1 season so far. Ferrari also saw Hamilton qualify just P18 for the F1 Sprint at the Belgian Grand Prix, which he went on to finish in 15th place at Spa this July.

Sprint events have given Hamilton his best moments as a Ferrari driver, but Sao Paulo saw a very different outcome to the first Sprint of the season in Shanghai. Hamilton won the China Sprint from pole position back in March during the second round of this terms’ arranged 24.

It is also the seventh time in 2025 that Hamilton has failed to progress into the final phase of a qualifying session. He has bowed out in Q1 during a Grand Prix qualifying session with P16 in Belgium, plus Q2 at four Grands Prix, during SQ1 for the Spa Sprint and now SQ2 in Brazil.