Hamilton crashes out of German Grand Prix qualifying in the latest dramatic twist in F1 Championship battle.
The Briton climbed out of his car shaken and winded but with no apparent serious injury. The impact came after the Mercedes driver’s brakes failed on entry to the hairpin leading into the stadium section of the Hockenheimring circuit.
Earlier there was concern for Hamilton as he crashed at around 250 kph (155 mph) during the first three qualifying session (Q1).
Hamilton was able to tell the team he was okay by radio and was driven to the race medical centre for an examination.
“I hit something,” Hamilton told the team. “I hit… hit the brakes – the brakes failed.”
- At a glance :
*Hamilton suffered brake failure in opening session and crashed at 165mph
*He headed to medical center but was released and is back in the paddock
*Briton will start only 15th for tomorrow’s grand Prix at Hockenheim
*Hamilton is four points adrift of team-mate Rosberg in drivers’ championship
*Rosberg secured his fourth pole in five races with Bottas 2nd, Massa 3rd
*Hamilton has won in Germany on two previous occasions in 2008 and 2011
For Hamilton, it was a major setback after he had managed to reduce Mercedes teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg’s lead to just four points with a victory in the British Grand Prix where the German retired.
Rosberg finished fastest in the first part of qualifying ahead of Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo. It is the first time Hamilton has failed to proceed to the third part of qualifying, the top ten shootout, since the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix. His Mercedes team confirmed he had 
told them he suffered a brakes failure, but said they had to make further investigations to discover the cause of the accident. Hamilton was taken to the circuit medical centre where he was examined carefully and joined by his personal fitness trainer and physiotherapist.
It was reported that they were concerned about his knees. His car hit the barriers heavily after, it appeared, the wheels locked up starting with the front left wheel and then the rear wheels. Television pundits and former racing drivers including Britons Martin Brundle, 2006 world champion Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert told Sky television they believed the car’s right front brake had failed, causing the spin.
“There was clearly something wrong with the car,” said Hill. “It is not just about his ego, but about the car. This is going to make it so much harder for him in the championship.”
Hamilton was aware of the car’s failure to brake and removed his hands from the steering just before impact. The team confirmed that Hamilton’s car had suffered a front right brake disc failure.
Having won his home British event at Silverstone two weeks ago, Hamilton had 161 points to Rosberg’s 165.
Formula 1: Rosberg on pole as Hamilton crashes out in German GP
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