Damon Hill reacts to Lewis Hamilton's hair-raising moment during the F1 Monaco GP FP1

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had a narrow escape in the FP1 session of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. He hit the kerb around the Swimming Pool section of the circuit as the car launched into the air briefly. Meanwhile, former F1 world champion Damon Hill reacted to the incident with an odd warning.

The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious Grand Prix in the F1 calendar. Held at Circuit de Monaco, the track layout is narrow with close walls and low-speed corners.

Meanwhile, on Friday, May 23, Hamilton, racing for Scuderia Ferrari, had a scary moment during the first free practice session. Throughout the FP1 session, drivers complained about heavy traffic and impeding.

During the final minutes of FP1, Hamilton touched the inside barrier at the entry part of the Swimming Pool section. The hit disbalanced his car as he hit the kerb in the next part of the chicane, and his car flew in the air for a moment.

However, Hamilton landed safely and avoided a crash to finish the FP1 session at P9. Notably, Hill, a former F1 world champion, reacted to the British driver's nervy moment.

"Warning: This can hurt!" Hill shared on his Instagram story

Damon Hill's IG Story [Image Source: @96f1champ/Instagram]

Meanwhile, despite a shaky FP1 session, Hamilton found some pace in FP2. He covered 30 laps and finished P3 with a lap time of 1:11.460, a tenth of a second slower than McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, dominated both FP1 and FP2 sessions on Friday, topping the charts with the fastest time. However, in FP1, he crashed into Aston Martin's Lance Stroll. The Canadian driver was at fault as stewards punished him with a one-place grid penalty and penalty points for the race on Sunday.

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Lewis Hamilton shares his opinion on whether time's running out for Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco - Previews - Source: Getty

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari with a lot of hope, but in seven races, he has only managed to win a single sprint race. In Grand Prix races, he is yet to find himself on the podium.

Moreover, Ferrari is racing against time, as they'll be required to shift focus to developing their 2026 car soon, with new engine regulations over the horizon. When Hamilton was asked if Ferrari is running out of time to improve this year's car, he said (via Racingnews365):

"It really is. I think this is at least from my side, this is a foundation building year. Getting to grips with everything within the team, making changes that are needed in order to help the team navigate to success long-term. That's stuff that I'm focused on in the background."

Ferrari, as engine manufacturers, have a big responsibility on their shoulders to crack the new regulations in order to reenter the race as championship contenders.