Lewis Hamilton issues apology as FIA take action over ‘unacceptable’ incident

Lewis Hamilton has issued an apology to Ferrari over his “unacceptable” Q1 exit at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s final out lap and flying lap were both deleted due to a track limits violation at Raidillon, dropping him into the elimination zone in the opening phase of the three-part qualifying hour.

Another “unacceptable” Q1 exit for Lewis Hamilton at Spa

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

After spinning in the first session of Sprint qualifying on Friday, Lewis Hamilton fell at the first hurdle while trying to secure a strong starting position for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.

On Friday, Hamilton lost the rear of his car — something he told media that he’d never before done in his career – when the rear axle locked.

During the Sprint race itself, Hamilton was only able to make two on-track passes: One on Nico Hulkenberg, another on Alex Albon. After qualifying 18th, he finished 15th, well outside of the points.

Then, several hours later, Hamilton’s attempt at qualifying for the Grand Prix was scuppered when his final flying lap time was scrapped by the FIA due to a track limits violation.

More on Ferrari and its Belgian Grand Prix upgrades:

👉 Data reveals explanation behind disappointing Ferrari sprint qualifying in Belgium

👉 Ferrari unveil highly anticipated ride-height solution at Spa

Hamilton was far from pleased when he spoke to media, including PlanetF1.com, after qualifying.

“It is what it is,” Hamilton lamented. “Just really sorry to the team.

“Really hard work with the filming day that we did, and all the preparation, and then you come here and don’t make it through Q1.

“It’s just… it’s unacceptable. Really sorry.”

Asked if he agrees that all four wheels were off the track, Hamilton replied, “I don’t really know. But I’m out.”

The Ferrari driver noted that he did indeed drive a similar line throughout the weekend, and that “everyone does that, takes that curb.” But in this instance, he was penalised.

It’s a particularly biting result for the seven-time World Champion for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which includes his team-mate Charles Leclerc qualifying third, on the second row of the grid.

Further, as Hamilton noted, Scuderia Ferrari has been hard at work crafting an upgrade package to debut this weekend.

Following the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this season, where excessive plank wear throughout the sprint weekend led to an ultimate disqualification from the race, Ferrari lifted the ride height of its SF-25 in order to prevent similar problems.

That lift, however, resulted in a challenging car to drive, with both Leclerc and Hamilton noting that the SF-25 became unpredictable under cornering, particularly at the rear. By upgrading the car, the team hoped to create a more comfortable and stable car.

However, Leclerc admitted in the post-qualifying FIA press conference that the gains from the upgrades have been marginal; they’re a step in the right direction, not a leap.

“Yes, it’s an upgrade and it’s a step in the right direction, but we are still speaking about very fine differences over a whole lap,” he said. “So, it feels a little bit different, and it’s going in the right direction.”

While Leclerc will start third, Lewis Hamilton will line up for the Belgian Grand Prix in 16th place.

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