Lewis Hamilton recounted that his "heart truly sank" when a Ferrari pit‑stop mishap at the Belgian Grand Prix saw his right‑front tyre strike a member of the pit crew. The mechanic, who was attempting to adjust the front wing at the moment the green light signaled Hamilton to leave the box, was knocked to his knees but escaped without injury. Hamilton immediately braked, helped the crew member to his feet, and then exited the pit lane.
The incident prompted a post‑race investigation by the stewards, resulting in a €30,000 fine for Ferrari, of which €10,000 will be suspended for a year. In its statement, Ferrari accepted responsibility for issuing an "inappropriately late" instruction to adjust the wing, for failing to communicate clearly with the driver, and for the mechanic not noticing the green light. The team described the situation as a "complex and unusual combination of circumstances," noting that Hamilton had already served a five‑second penalty before the pit stop work began.
Stewards determined that Hamilton bore no blame for the collision, emphasizing that he had already suffered a "sporting disadvantage" because the penalty delayed his departure from the pit box. Consequently, his fourth‑place finish stood, moving him back into second place in the Drivers' Championship, 45 points behind race winner Kimi Antonelli and ahead of George Russell. After the race, Hamilton reflected on the moment, recalling a similar, more serious incident from the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix when a botched Ferrari stop for Kimi Räikkönen resulted in mechanic Francesco Cigarini breaking both legs.
"When I saw the mechanic on the ground, my mind flashed back to that Bahrain incident and my heart really sank for a second," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. He expressed relief that the Sunday mechanic was unharmed, confirming his concern over the radio. "The green light went and so I went.
You’re looking over here at the lights, not over there – that’s more on the team, ultimately," he added. The pit stop was already longer than usual because Ferrari had to wait five seconds before changing the tyres, a delay imposed after Hamilton received a penalty for colliding with George Russell at Les Combes on the opening lap.
That clash sent Russell spinning out of the race, although the Mercedes driver later blamed his own car's straight‑line speed deficit rather than Hamilton for the incident on the Kemmel Straight. In his post‑race interview, Hamilton chose not to dwell on the specifics of the collision with Russell. Instead, he accepted responsibility for his qualifying performance, noting that he had qualified sixth, which became fifth after Lando Norris received an engine penalty following a crash in the final practice session on Saturday.
"I don’t blame luck; I think about the mistake I made yesterday, so I take full responsibility for the fourth place I ended up with," Hamilton said. He explained that damage sustained in the earlier incident forced the team to rebuild the car, and a missed suspension component altered the car’s balance, costing him a few tenths of a second in qualifying. "That domino effect – a five‑second penalty, the damage, the rebuild – set me back further," he continued.
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton praised his team's strategic work and pit‑stop execution, emphasizing ongoing improvements to the car's performance. "Without the damage, our pace today could have challenged for the win," he asserted. Looking ahead, Formula 1 will travel to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with every session broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 starting this Friday.
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