Hamilton feared Ferrari mechanic was seriously hurt after Belgian GP pit stop scare
Lewis Hamilton feared he had hurt a mechanic at Spa
Lewis Hamilton feared one of his Ferrari mechanics had suffered a serious injury when he hit him while pulling away after his pit stop at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Briton’s mind immediately went back to the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, when then-Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen broke a mechanic’s leg after the pit release light switched to green before the rear-left tyre had been fitted.
Lewis Hamilton feared repeat of Kimi Räikkönen pit lane horror
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Hamilton sent a member of his pit crew tumbling to the ground during Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix when the Briton made his one and only pit stop of the afternoon.
Having served a five-second penalty for colliding with George Russell on the opening lap, Hamilton was stationary for an extended period before receiving the electronic green light to leave his pit box.
However, one mechanic was still moving in to make an adjustment to Hamilton’s front wing.
As Hamilton pulled away, his front wheel struck the mechanic, knocking him to the ground.
The seven-time World Champion immediately braked, with the mechanic escaping unhurt.
“****! Is he okay?” an alarmed Hamilton asked Ferrari over the radio.
His race engineer, Carlo Santi, replied: “He’s okay. We are all okay.”
Hamilton went on to finish the Grand Prix in fourth place, six seconds shy of the podium.
Explaining how the incident unfolded, the Briton said: “I’m looking at the lights, and I’m supposed to go when the car’s dropping.
“And I went and then I saw him to my right, and I stopped as soon as I could.
“Luckily, he didn’t [get hurt].
“All I could think at the time was back when Kimi did a leg and I was like, ‘Oh…’.
“That’s what I thought initially, but he got up and moved.”
A Ferrari spokesperson confirmed the mechanic was “completely unhurt” and did not require medical assistance.
Ferrari was summoned to the stewards over a potential unsafe release, with the Scuderia receiving a £25,500 fine, £8,500 of which is suspended for 12 months.
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As part of its verdict, the FIA wrote: “The stewards determined that the driver was in no respect at fault.
“Indeed, the driver realised what had occurred as soon as he commenced to move off and immediately stopped until the mechanic was clear.
“Far from resulting in a sporting advantage, the incident brought about a sporting disadvantage for Car 44, which was delayed in its pit stop.
“In the circumstances, the incident did not justify a sporting penalty, but did justify a significant fine on the competitor given that procedural failures of this nature prejudice the safety of mechanics.
“The stewards took into account the unusual combination of circumstances which contributed to the confusion within the team – circumstances which would not usually be contemplated by the team.
“For this reason, the stewards determined to suspend part of the fine on condition that the team conducts a review of its procedures and submits a report to the FIA outlining the remedial steps to be taken.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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