Lewis Hamilton recounted that his "heart truly sank" when a Ferrari pit‑stop mishap at the Belgian Grand Prix resulted in his right‑front tyre striking a member of the crew. The mechanic, who was attempting to adjust the front wing at the moment Hamilton received the green light to leave the pit box, was knocked to his knees but escaped any injury. Hamilton immediately halted his car, assisted the crew member back to his feet, and then exited the pit lane.
The incident prompted a post‑race investigation by the stewards, culminating in a €30,000 fine for Ferrari, of which €10,000 will be suspended for a year. In their statement, Ferrari acknowledged a series of errors: an "inappropriately late instruction" for the wing adjustment, poor communication within the team, and the mechanic's failure to notice the green light. These shortcomings occurred during a particularly complex stop, as Hamilton had first served a five‑second penalty before any work could begin on his car.
Because the driver was not deemed at fault—indeed, the stewards noted that Hamilton suffered a "sporting disadvantage" due to the delayed departure—the penalty did not affect his finishing position. Hamilton retained his fourth‑place finish, which propelled him back into second place in the Drivers' Championship, now sitting 45 points behind race winner Kimi Antonelli and ahead of George Russell. After the race, Hamilton reflected on the moment of confusion, saying his thoughts instantly flashed back to a similar incident at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix.
In that earlier case, a botched Ferrari stop for Kimi Räikkönen resulted in mechanic Francesco Cigarini sustaining a double leg fracture. Hamilton expressed genuine relief when he learned that the mechanic involved in the Spa incident was unharmed. "The green light went and so I went," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.
"You're looking over here, not over there, so that’s more on the team, ultimately. When it happened I saw him, stopped, and my mind went back to that 2018 accident – my heart really sank for a second. I'm really grateful he's OK." The pit stop had already been prolonged because Ferrari's crew had to wait five seconds before beginning the tyre change, a delay imposed after Hamilton served a time penalty for causing a collision with George Russell at Les Combes on the opening lap.
That earlier clash spun Russell out of the race; however, the Mercedes driver later attributed his retirement to straight‑line speed deficiencies in his own car rather than to Hamilton's actions. In his post‑race interview, Hamilton chose not to dwell on the specifics of the collision with Russell. Instead, he accepted responsibility for his own qualifying performance. He explained that a crash in the final practice session forced him to start sixth, which was later promoted to fifth after Lando Norris received an engine penalty.
"I don’t blame luck," Hamilton said. "I think about the mistake I made yesterday, so I take full responsibility for the fourth place I ended up with." He went on to detail the technical issues that hampered his weekend. "The car was damaged, and when the team rebuilt it they missed something on the suspension, so the balance was completely different.
That probably cost me a few tenths – maybe three tenths – in qualifying. Then I started further back, got the incident, served a five‑second penalty, and it all became a domino effect from my own mistake." Despite the setbacks, Hamilton praised Ferrari's strategic work and pit‑stop execution, noting that the team continues to improve the car's performance. "Our pace today, without the damage, could have been challenging for the win," he added.
Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar moves to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with all sessions set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Fans can stream the coverage via Sky Sports with NOW, a contract‑free service that can be cancelled at any time. The upcoming race promises another opportunity for Hamilton and Ferrari to rebound from the Spa incident and chase points in the tightly contested championship battle.