Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari team now faces a frantic scramble to get his car back into race‑ready condition for the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session after the British driver clipped the barriers at the end of the final practice run. The incident came in a session that was again topped by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who posted the fastest time for the second consecutive practice at the sun‑bathed Spa‑Francorchamps circuit.
Hamilton had been running fifth fastest when he set a quick lap in the closing minutes before the 3 p.m. qualifying window opened. Approaching Turn 13, he drifted wide onto the gravel trap and the right‑hand rear tyre struck the safety barrier.
The impact was reminiscent of Pierre Gasly’s crash at the same corner earlier in the weekend, creating a striking visual parallel between the two incidents. "I’ve destroyed the car, mate," Hamilton radioed to his race engineer immediately after the collision.
The damage to the SF‑26’s right‑rear assembly was severe enough that he could not limp back to the pit lane. Instead, he coasted to a stop on the track, climbed out of the cockpit, and examined the wreckage himself while team personnel rushed to the scene.
Meanwhile, Antonelli entered qualifying as the overwhelming favourite for pole position after posting the quickest time for the second practice in a row. His performance at Spa, one of Formula 1’s most demanding venues, has been nothing short of spectacular. On his first timed lap, he was a full 0.7 seconds quicker than any other driver, establishing a clear gap that underscored his raw speed.
By the end of the session, his lead had narrowed to a razor‑thin 0.1 seconds over Lando Norris, who held second place, and Max Verstappen, who rounded out the top three. Antonelli’s final runs on the soft compound did not improve his time, but the margin was so small that he still emerged as the driver to beat. George Russell, Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, finished fourth, just 0.3 seconds behind Antonelli.
The two Ferraris, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, occupied the next two positions, with Hamilton edging Leclerc by nearly 0.4 seconds in the final practice. This advantage over the British GP winner suggested that Hamilton’s pace was strong despite the later mishap. Norris, who had been the leading McLaren driver in second place before his penalty, will start the qualifying session from the tenth row due to a ten‑place grid drop for an engine change.
His teammate Oscar Piastri will therefore inherit the responsibility of representing the Woking team, but Piastri’s lap times placed him seventh overall, roughly 0.8 seconds off the pace of the front‑runners. Audi’s newcomers also enjoyed a respectable showing. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth and ninth respectively, while Isack Hadjar, driving the second Red Bull, ended up just behind them. Hadjar is already slated to start from the back of the grid because of multiple power‑unit component changes that incur heavy penalties.
His practice session was briefly disrupted when a technical issue forced his RB22 to stop in the pit lane after leaving the garage. The weekend schedule is packed with support series and build‑up events.
On Saturday, July 18, the F2 Sprint will kick off at 1.15 p.m., followed by the Belgian GP qualifying at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 19, features an F3 Feature Race at 7.30 a.m., an F2 Feature Race at 9 a.m., the Porsche Supercup at 10.45 a.m., and a pre‑race build‑up for the Grand Prix starting at 12.30 p.m.
The main race itself begins at 2 p.m., with post‑race analysis and the chequered‑flag ceremony slated for 4 p.m. All sessions will also be available on Sky Sports Main Event. With Hamilton’s car now requiring extensive repairs, the Ferrari crew must work quickly to replace the damaged rear suspension components, assess any chassis damage, and ensure the power unit remains undamaged. The turnaround time will be critical; any delay could compromise Hamilton’s ability to set a competitive qualifying lap, potentially relegating him to a lower grid position and making his race strategy far more challenging.
Antonelli’s meteoric rise continues to attract attention, especially as he consistently outpaces more experienced rivals on one of the sport’s most iconic tracks. His ability to extract maximum performance from the Mercedes while maintaining composure under pressure bodes well for his championship aspirations. If he can convert his practice speed into a pole position, he will be in an ideal position to challenge for the race win, provided the race strategy and tyre management align.
In summary, the final practice at Spa‑Francorchamps delivered a dramatic mix of high‑speed brilliance and costly error. Hamilton’s crash has turned his weekend into a repair sprint, while Antonelli’s dominant pace places him firmly in the spotlight as the driver to beat in qualifying and potentially the race itself.
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