Lewis Hamilton lifts lid on consequences after Belgian GP FP3 crash

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has revealed his car balance was not the same in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying after his heavy crash at the end of FP3 at Spa.

Hamilton’s car was ready in time for Q1 after a hefty impact on the exit of Fagnes caused heavy damage to his right-rear, and despite a lingering issue afterwards, he qualified just two-thousandths behind teammate Charles Leclerc on Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari ‘pushed right until the last minute’ after FP3 shunt

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The Ferrari duo locked out the provisional third row in qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, though Leclerc and Hamilton will start the race fourth and fifth respectively once a 10-place grid penalty takes effect for Lando Norris.

Kimi Antonelli took pole position for Mercedes, but Hamilton’s crew worked flat-out to have his car ready for the session, with only two-and-a-half hours to make the necessary repairs.

The seven-time world champion thanked his team for their work, though acknowledged the damaged area from practice did not perform at the same level in qualifying.

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Asked if he was ‘kicking himself’ at narrowly missing out on beating Leclerc on Saturday, Hamilton told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “That’s not how I see it, I think we did a pretty good job.

“I think the guys did a great job to repair the car, and these things happen. You move on, and [I] maximised, did the best I could in qualifying. I think my laps were pretty decent.”

Pressed on any differences he felt after his accident, Hamilton added: “Something wasn’t the same on the rear suspension, so I think the balance wasn’t the same, basically, that I had in FP3, [in] which the car was feeling really great.

“But, they [Ferrari mechanics] were pushed right till the last minute to get the thing fixed. So, I’m just grateful they did, and I hope the car’s still okay in the race.

“In P3 the car was feeling really good, and I did a bit of a long run, the car felt great, but it is a subtly different car, and setup-wise, so I’m still hoping it’s good.”

Antonelli will start on the front row ahead of Max Verstappen on Sunday, with George Russell ahead of Leclerc on the second row for Sunday’s race.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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