Hamilton flips off Colapinto in heated Miami GP moment

An untelevised onboard camera captured Lewis Hamilton raising his middle finger at Franco Colapinto's Alpine after passing him during the Miami Grand Prix, a flash of frustration from the seven-time champion whose race was ruined by early contact with the same driver. Hamilton finished a distant sixth, citing significant car damage from the first-lap incident as the reason he could not compete with the leaders.

Why it matters:

This moment of visible exasperation underscores the mounting pressure and disappointment for Hamilton and Mercedes in a season where they are struggling to consistently challenge for wins. With his move to Ferrari looming, every non-competitive race amplifies scrutiny on his final year with the team and highlights the performance gap Mercedes must close.

The details:

• The incident stemmed from contact between Hamilton and Colapinto on the opening lap, which damaged the floor and other parts of Hamilton's W15.
• While the car continued, the damage cost significant lap time, estimated by Hamilton to be around three to four tenths per lap on the straights alone.
• The gesture occurred on the back straight shortly after Hamilton finally managed to overtake Colapinto to reclaim the position.
• In post-race interviews, Hamilton described the weekend as "very disappointing," finishing in "no man's land" in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, and lamented the "cruel luck" of the early damage.
• Teammate George Russell finished seventh on the road but was demoted to eighth after a 20-second time penalty.

What's next:

Hamilton pinpointed specific areas for improvement ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, signaling a change in approach is needed.

• He emphasized that the straight-line speed deficit must be addressed, especially with the power-sensitive Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next on the calendar.
• He also admitted his extensive simulator work before Miami—which he is not a fan of—did not translate to better performance, citing ongoing correlation issues where the car behaves differently on track than in the simulation.
• Hamilton stated he will "make adjustments" to his preparation process in an attempt to find better results.