Hamilton hits Imola 48 hours after Madrid DNF as Ferrari joins Pirelli 2027 tyre test

Hamilton's swift return follows a painful weekend at the Madring, where a long brake pedal left his car unsafe to continue and Ferrari eventually chose to retire him from the race.

"I've got no brakes, guys," Hamilton told his race engineer Carlo Santi in Madrid, before limping back to the pits on Lap 7. The result was his first DNF since the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix, ending his streak of completing every racing lap of 2026 and scoring points in every race.

The championship picture has shifted dramatically for Hamilton.

After Silverstone on July 5 he trailed leader Kimi Antonelli by just 32 points; five races later, the gap stands at 101. As GPblog reported after the race, Hamilton conceded the 2026 title to Antonelli and Mercedes.

"There's no stopping him and Mercedes this year," he said. Despite the blow, the Briton remained positive about Ferrari's pace. "I think we had the car to fight for a win today," he said, "and unfortunately it just didn't work out."

Ferrari is not alone at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit this week. Racing Bulls is also taking part in the two-day Pirelli programme, which runs on September 15 and 16.

Ferrari's activity this week will not be limited to Pirelli tests. On Wednesday the Scuderia is expected to add a separate TPC (Testing of Previous Car) session using machinery from a previous season. Reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi is also expected to take part in the session.

The test venue carries significance beyond tyre development. Imola remains the leading alternative should Formula 1 need to reorganise the closing rounds of the 2026 season because of the situation in the Middle East, potentially opening the door to an F1 return before the end of the year.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, however, refused to confirm any change in Madrid,. he said: "The schedule is confirmed as it stands today, right up until the final in Abu Dhabi." For Ferrari, running the SF-26 with its race drivers at Imola could prove a valuable advantage in view of a probable season finale on the same circuit.