During qualifying for the European Grand Prix, Hamilton crashed at the Nürburgring due to a front right tyre failure. He was unable to complete qualifying and started the race in tenth position. During a heavy rainstorm which caused the race to be temporally stopped, Hamilton slid off into a gravel trap. He was able to rejoin the race after the restart. His ninth place finish in this race was his first non-podium and non-points finish.