Hamilton Battles Brake Woes in Imola:

“It Feels Like a Game of Chance”

For Lewis Hamilton, Friday at Imola was a tale of two halves. The seven-time world champion experienced a morning of cautious optimism, only for the afternoon to descend into frustrating familiarity. Despite encouraging signs in the early session, it didn’t take long for Hamilton to find himself once again wrestling with the brake issues that have shadowed his 2025 season from day one.

Promising Start at Imola

Hamilton has spoken often this season about the feeling he’s chasing — that elusive sweet spot where driver and car become one. And for a fleeting moment during FP1 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, it seemed like he might’ve found it.

“The first session went really well,” Hamilton said with a genuine hint of satisfaction in his voice. “The car felt great — probably the best it’s felt all year, in terms of balance and predictability. I didn’t really change much, hardly anything, really. It was the smallest setup change I’ve made all season.”

That’s significant coming from a driver known for his meticulous attention to detail and relentless search for marginal gains. When Hamilton barely touches the setup, it usually means he feels confident.

But as the afternoon rolled around and temperatures rose slightly, so too did the tension inside the Mercedes garage. By the time FP2 was over, the optimism had evaporated. The brake issues were back — and Hamilton was visibly frustrated.

“This Isn’t New — But It’s Getting Worse”

Hamilton was candid when asked what went wrong in the second session: “The braking was inconsistent again. And honestly, it’s been like this since the beginning of the season. It’s not just something that popped up today. I’ve never had anything like this in my entire career. It’s completely new territory for me.”

That’s a startling admission from a man who has driven through almost every imaginable technical problem in his two decades at the top. But what makes this issue so perplexing is its unpredictability — one run can feel manageable, the next, almost undriveable.

“Sometimes a set of brakes will feel okay, then the next set — with the same car, same track, same conditions — it’s just all over the place,” he explained. “It’s like we’re rolling the dice every time we go out. One time it works, the next it doesn’t.”

From Carbon Industrie to Brembo – But That’s Not the Fix

After trying to get on top of the issue with Carbon Industrie brake components earlier in the year, Hamilton recently made a switch to Brembo — a move that in the paddock raised some eyebrows. Brembo systems are used by a number of teams on the grid and are known for their consistency and feel.

But Hamilton was quick to shut down any speculation that the switch was the root cause or solution.

“This isn’t about Carbon Industrie or Brembo,” he said. “This isn’t a supplier issue. It’s a performance issue — consistency, feedback, response. It’s not like we’re blaming a company. It’s deeper than that.”

What he means, it seems, is that the issue is systemic. It’s not about the hardware alone — it’s how the brakes interact with the car’s aero balance, tyre behaviour, and even his own style. That’s a far trickier puzzle to solve.

Frustration Mounting — But Still Hopeful

The most telling part of Hamilton’s post-session comments wasn’t what he said — but how he said it. There was a mixture of exasperation and realism. He knows Mercedes are pushing to find answers, and he’s giving them everything he can in return. But there’s a weariness creeping in — a sense that the team is still chasing ghosts.

“We’re working flat out,” he said. “I’m giving all the feedback I can, and the team is going through everything. But this isn’t the kind of thing you just fix overnight. It’s complex, and we need time. Hopefully we’ll find something overnight to make tomorrow better.”

In typical Hamilton fashion, he refused to throw anyone under the bus. He praised the engineers, stayed composed, and remained solution-focused. But you could tell: this is taking its toll.

Brake Feel: An Underrated Yet Crucial Factor

For fans unfamiliar with just how crucial brake performance is in Formula 1, here’s the thing — it’s everything. Drivers like Hamilton rely on instinct. They brake at the absolute last possible moment, at speeds exceeding 300 km/h, threading the needle between grip and disaster. If the brake feel isn’t there — if the pedal response changes lap to lap — confidence goes out the window.

And when confidence goes, so does lap time.

This year’s SF-25 has made gains in some areas — top-end speed, mechanical grip in slower corners — but if Hamilton can’t trust the car on corner entry, he’s driving compromised. And at this level, compromise costs positions.

Imola: Not the Place for Inconsistency

The irony? Imola is exactly the kind of track where brake confidence is make-or-break. With its old-school layout, tight chicanes, and unforgiving gravel traps, you need a car that behaves precisely when you ask it to. A slight delay in pedal feel, a millisecond’s hesitation — and you’re in the wall or losing half a second. Neither outcome is acceptable for a driver like Hamilton.

He knows it. Mercedes knows it. But fixing it is proving harder than anyone expected.

Looking Ahead — A Saturday Rebound?

Despite the struggles, Hamilton isn’t writing off the weekend just yet. There’s still time for tweaks, setup experiments, and perhaps a lucky roll of the dice. Maybe this time, the brake gods will be kind.

“We’re still in the fight,” he said. “The pace was there in the morning. We just need to unlock it again. If we get the consistency back, I think we can be up there.”

And that’s the hallmark of Hamilton — the relentless belief that even in adversity, there’s always a way forward.

Final Thoughts

So what makes this such a compelling storyline? It’s not just that Hamilton is struggling with brake issues at Imola — it’s that even at 39, even as a seven-time world champion, he’s still chasing perfection. He’s still evolving, still demanding more from his car, his team, and himself.

And when you hear him describe his situation as a “game of chance,” you realise that even the greatest can feel helpless in the face of technical uncertainty.

But don’t bet against him. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s this — Lewis Hamilton rarely stays down for long.

Lewis HamiltonFerrari