10 Times F1 Drivers Lost a Race in the Dumbest Ways

10. Lewis Hamilton – The Wrong Switch (Azerbaijan 2021)

Restarting from pole with two laps to go, Hamilton accidentally flicked his brake-bias “magic” switch and locked up into Turn 1. He slid straight on, finishing 15th instead of retaking the championship lead. A split-second blunder with a massive price.

9. Esteban Ocon – Unsafe Release Chaos (Bahrain 2023)

Ocon’s Alpine earned three separate penalties in the opening laps — including one for starting out of position and another for serving the first incorrectly. He retired early after a pit-lane comedy of errors that looked more like Formula E than F1.

8. Daniel Ricciardo – “Box, Box… Oh Wait” (Monaco 2016)

Red Bull called Ricciardo in for slicks but forgot to have the tires ready. He sat stranded in the pit lane for 13 seconds watching his win disappear. His radio rant — “Nothing you can say will make this better” — said it all.

7. Mika Häkkinen – Tears in the Bushes (Monza 1999)

The Finn was cruising to victory when he downshifted into the wrong gear at the Rettifilo chicane, spinning out instantly. TV cameras caught him weeping behind a barrier — a painfully human mistake from a world champion.

6. Sebastian Vettel – Spins from the Lead (Germany 2018)

In front of his home fans and leading the championship, Vettel lost control in light rain and slid straight into the gravel. His scream of frustration summed up the disaster — a simple driver error that flipped the 2018 title fight to Hamilton.

5. Lando Norris – “I Don’t Need To Box” (Russia 2021)

With seven laps left, Norris was leading in search of his first F1 win. Rain began falling, but he refused to pit for intermediates — while Hamilton did. Within two laps, Norris was skating helplessly as Hamilton cruised by for victory. Painful, preventable, and unforgettable.

4. Kimi Räikkönen – The Wrong Tires Disaster (Brazil 2003)

On a drying track, Räikkönen’s team left him out on slicks too early, and he promptly slid off as his rivals pitted for the right rubber. The poor call cost him a likely win — and left McLaren red-faced.

3. Charles Leclerc – “I Am Stupid” (Baku 2019)

The Ferrari driver looked like a pole favorite until he hit the Turn 8 wall in qualifying. His furious “I am stupid” radio line became an instant meme — and cost Ferrari their best shot at the weekend.

2. Nigel Mansell – Waves to the Crowd, Engine Dies (Canada 1991)

Mansell dominated all race long, waving to fans on the final lap — and accidentally stalled the car as he slowed down too much. Nelson Piquet swept past to win, while Mansell coasted to a humiliating DNF a few hundred yards from the flag.

1. Lewis Hamilton – The Pit-Stop That Never Should’ve Happened (Monaco 2015)

Leading comfortably, Hamilton was told to pit under a late Safety Car so Mercedes could “cover” Rosberg and Vettel. The stop dropped him to P3 with only a few laps left. A team data misread cost him a certain Monaco victory — and triggered one of the most awkward radio exchanges ever.