Lewis Hamilton has revealed that his spin during the sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix was linked to a new part on the car, which also previously caused teammate Charles Leclerc to crash during practice in Canada. In the intense competition of Formula 1, this incident occurred at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where Hamilton’s hopes for a strong race were dashed after he spun at the bus stop chicane, leaving him to start from 18th place on the grid. He had also encountered an oversteer problem at Stavelot during his initial lap.
While Ferrari did not immediately comment on the rear wheel locking that led Leclerc’s SF-25 off the track in Canada, Hamilton stated that this locking scenario was new territory for him professionally. This weekend marked the debut of Ferrari’s revamped rear suspension, aimed at correcting some existing weaknesses with their car.
Hamilton shared insights post-qualifying, noting that investigations had identified the new component as the likely cause of his spin, echoing Leclerc’s previous experience in Montreal where a block caused his crash during FP1. “We’ve got a new component on the car that Charles had in Montreal, and has had for a few races. But that’s the first time I’ve had it,” Hamilton explained, admitting his own mishap during the sprint and expressing hopes that the issue has been resolved.
Despite Hamilton’s difficult qualifying, Leclerc managed to secure a position among the front-runners early in the sprint race, overtaking Lando Norris for third place. Yet, he lost that position on lap four and concluded the race in fourth—10.176 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen. Reflecting on Ferrari’s current performance, Leclerc acknowledged the challenge of competing against the faster Red Bull and McLaren teams, stating, “Unfortunately, this is the situation we are in at the moment… We are not accepting that situation, and we are pushing like crazy to try and turn the situation around.”
Both drivers face a tough road ahead as they seek to enhance their car’s performance and compete at a higher level in future races. Their determination to improve amid challenging circumstances reflects the resilience of the team and the spirit that drives Formula 1.