In a rare moment of vulnerability, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton admitted to a career-first mishap during Friday’s Sprint Qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix, where a dramatic spin cost him a chance to progress beyond SQ1.
The Ferrari driver’s error, caused by a rear wheel lock-up, left him stranded in the run-off area at Spa-Francorchamps’ final corner, sparking frustration as he reflected on a challenging session.
Hamilton’s troubles began when his Ferrari snapped out of control on his final flying lap attempt in SQ1. The incident marked an unfamiliar setback for the 40-year-old veteran.
“I spun,” Hamilton said bluntly when asked what went wrong. He elaborated, noting that the rear lock-up was “the first time, I think, in my career” he had experienced such an issue.
The session was already proving difficult for the Briton whose earlier attempt at a flying lap was compromised by running wide at Stavelot.
Ferrari introduced a new rear suspension for the weekend, but Hamilton was far from satisfied with the car’s performance.
“Not great,” he said of the car’s feel, adding, “there’s not really a lot to say.”
His frustration was palpable as he spoke to the official Formula 1 channel.
“Obviously I’m massively frustrated. A lot of work has gone in and to be [only] there is not really great, so hopefully tomorrow will be better.”
Leclerc Reflects on Upgrade Impact
Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc fared better, reaching SQ3 and securing fourth on the grid for Saturday’s sprint, alongside McLaren’s Lando Norris. However, the Monegasque driver was still left disappointed after finishing over seven tenths adrift of pace-setter Oscar Piastri.
“I felt the changes, but the thing is that today the gap is huge,” Leclerc admitted. “I’m sure we did a step forward, but for some reason the McLaren seems to be even faster than usual around this track, so it’s a bit disappointing on that side of things.”
Despite the sizeable gap, Leclerc remains cautiously optimistic about the car’s development direction.
“The feeling was pretty good, which is a mixed feeling,” he said. “On one side I’m happy that the car feels better. On the other, even if the car feels actually pretty good we are still seven tenths off, which is a huge amount of time.
“Yes it’s a long track, but still it’s a big amount of time.”
“We just need more grip”
Ferrari’s rear suspension upgrade is intended to improve ride stability and consistency. While the change has been received positively in terms of balance, Leclerc says raw pace remains elusive.
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“There’s a lot of work to be done, for sure,” he added.
“We just need to add grip to this car at the end of the day. I don’t think we do anything particularly wrong, but we just need more grip, that we don’t seem to have for now.”
With Hamilton starting near the back and Leclerc still trailing McLaren’s pace, Ferrari enters Saturday’s sprint with progress made – but plenty of ground still to cover.
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