Hamilton apologizes to Ferrari for ‘unacceptable’ second Q1 exit

Lewis Hamilton’s difficult Belgian Grand Prix weekend suffered another blow on Saturday, as the seven-time world champion endured his second Q1 elimination in as many days – and admitted he owed Ferrari an apology for what he described as a “very, very poor performance.”

Hamilton will line up 16th for Sunday’s race at Spa-Francorchamps after a track limits infringement saw his fastest lap in Q1 deleted, dropping him out of the top 15 and into the elimination zone.

It capped off a frustrating qualifying run in which the Briton struggled to extract performance from the SF-25 and now faces another uphill battle in race trim.

“Unacceptable to Be Out in Both Q1s”

While Hamilton initially looked to have safely advanced into Q2, stewards deemed he had exceeded track limits at the top of Raidillon. The lap time was deleted – just as it had been in sprint qualifying the day before, where he also exited in Q1 following a costly spin at the penultimate corner.

“I was the same as I was for the rest of the weekend. We made some changes, the car didn't feel terrible,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 after the session.

“I think it was not so easy to... It was even tough for us, we had to put a second set [of tyres] on just to get through Q1. So, not great.

“And then from my side, another mistake. So I really got to look internally. I got to apologise to my team because it's just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It's a very, very poor performance for myself.”

Hamilton’s brutally honest self-assessment clearly reflected his frustration, as he acknowledged the team’s recent upgrades and the effort back at Maranello, but admitted that he wasn’t holding out much hope for a dramatic turnaround on Sunday.

“I Don’t Agree... But I’m Out”

The Ferrari driver confirmed that the team had made setup changes before qualifying, which had at least marginally improved the car’s balance, but didn’t fundamentally solve the challenges he was facing.

And while Hamilton accepted responsibility for the result, he was far from convinced by the track limits ruling that ultimately sealed his fate.

“I don't agree, no. But I'm out,” he said of the decision.

When pressed if that line through Raidillon was one he'd used throughout the weekend, Hamilton replied: “Pretty much, yeah. I wouldn't say all weekend, I mean, everyone takes that kerb, it's probably the furthest I've been.”

Hamilton confirmed he would be discussing the incident with the stewards.

“Trying to do the best with what we have”

As Ferrari’s other driver, Charles Leclerc, prepares to launch his own race from fourth on the grid, Hamilton will once again be left battling in the midfield, a scenario that has become increasingly common in a season marked by inconsistency and underperformance.

“I don't think there's really much we can do,” Hamilton said when asked if he might start from the pit lane with further setup changes. “So I just try and start from where I am and see where I can get from there.”

• Belgian Grand Prix - Qualifying results

Reflecting on the broader challenges facing Ferrari this year, Hamilton added: “I mean, we're trying to do the best with what we have. And then obviously everyone's working flat out back in the factory.

“We have had upgrades, but I think that's probably it for the rest of the year. And then I think the focus is now, back at the factory at least, is to focus on next year's car. This season has been a tricky one.”

With Spa’s notoriously changeable weather always a factor, Hamilton will be hoping for a bit of chaos to work his way back toward the points.

But with Ferrari now seemingly shifting full focus to 2026, the remainder of this season could become more about damage limitation and development than outright results.

For Hamilton, though, the priority right now is accountability.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook