Hamilton says he had no update on worsening rain before São Paulo spin

Lewis Hamilton said he had not received an update that rain had intensified before a late spin at the São Paulo Grand Prix. The spin on the climb after Turn 12 cost him valuable time; he finished ninth and said he was lucky to avoid the wall.

Rain returned in the closing stages after a wet start and a mid-race spell on slicks, making a switch back to intermediates necessary. Hamilton said he had been told on the previous lap that conditions would stay consistent. He also said he was catching Liam Lawson by a second a lap in the greasy conditions. A call to box came just before pit entry, he said; running just behind Lawson, he pressed overtake and chose not to stop because he believed conditions had not changed. He reached Turn 1 to find the track drenched. “I didn’t get that information,” he said.

Hamilton was among the last drivers to switch back to intermediates, stopping only after the spin. Ninth was his worst finish of the 2026 season apart from his Spanish Grand Prix retirement; team-mate Charles Leclerc finished seventh. Hamilton apologised to his team for the spin, praised its work over the weekend and said it had lacked the pace they wanted.