HOW A 'MAGIC BUTTON' CAUSED LEWIS HAMILTON TO LOCK UP

The 2021 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, hosted by the city of Baku, saw yet another completely unexpected outcome for the drivers on the grid. It was thrilling; Max Verstappen suffered a tyre blowout with just five laps of the race to go, handing the race win to his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, while Sebastian Vettel finished second and secured Aston Martin's first-ever podium.

However, shortly after the race restart after Verstappen's crash, we saw something rather unusual – Lewis Hamilton making a serious mistake. In fact, the last time Lewis Hamilton received absolutely no points after finishing a race was way back in 2013!

Shortly after lights out for the second time, Lewis Hamilton gave it everything to get ahead from second place on the grid. But, as the first corner approached, he locked up badly and couldn't complete the turn. This sent him to the back of the pack and, with just two laps to the chequered flag, his race was lost.

After speculation and commentary, closer inspection from Mercedes revealed that Hamilton accidentally hit the "Magic Brake" button (yes, that's its official name) during the restart. Although this special button is rather secretive, we do understand its fundamental principle. That is, once pressed, it will shift the car's brake balance forward, which is ideal in some braking situations, but by no means was it right for the first corner of Azerbaijan!

Take a look at the video below by the YouTube channel, WTF1, on Why A 'Magic' Button Caused Hamilton To Have No Brakes.

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