Lewis Hamilton has attributed his fourth-place finish at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix to a series of personal errors, rather than misfortune. The Ferrari driver stated that a significant crash during the final practice session at Spa-Francorchamps initiated a ‘domino effect’ that compromised his race performance. Hamilton had entered the weekend expecting to contend for victory.
The incident occurred at the end of Free Practice 3 (FP3) on Saturday, July 18, when Hamilton hit the barrier at Les Combes. This impact caused substantial damage to the front wing and suspension components of his Ferrari SF-26.
Ferrari mechanics worked extensively to repair the car before qualifying. However, Hamilton reported that the car’s balance felt significantly altered after the repairs, estimating a loss of ‘around three-tenths’ per lap due to the compromised suspension geometry.
Technical data from Ferrari later indicated the damage resulted in a loss of approximately 10 efficiency points, equivalent to about one-and-a-half tenths of a second per lap. This was less severe than Hamilton’s initial post-race estimate of 50 points.
The damage to the SF-26 included a lost front-wing diveplane and a torn-away left-side bargeboard, impacting the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. Despite this, Hamilton’s race pace remained competitive, suggesting the car’s underlying performance was strong.
During the race on Sunday, July 19, Hamilton was involved in a collision with George Russell on the opening lap at La Source/Les Combes. Russell’s Mercedes was pitched into the gravel, ending his race.
Stewards deemed Hamilton primarily at fault for the contact, issuing a five-second time penalty. This sanction was served during a subsequent pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car period.
Russell, Hamilton’s former teammate, considered the incident a racing incident and attributed his vulnerability to a power unit issue. The penalty for Hamilton was reduced from a standard 10 seconds, acknowledging his attempt to avoid the collision despite understeer.
A separate incident occurred during Hamilton’s pit stop when he made contact with a mechanic. As he was released from his pit box, his front-right wheel struck a mechanic who was adjusting the front wing.
The mechanic was not injured, and Ferrari received a €30,000 fine, with €10,000 suspended for 12 months, for the unsafe release. This pit stop confusion also meant a requested front-wing adjustment could not be completed.
Hamilton expressed gratitude for securing fourth place given the weekend’s challenges. He maintained that without the initial damage and subsequent penalties, the Ferrari SF-26 possessed the pace to contend for victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes secured the victory at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing second for Ferrari and Max Verstappen taking third for Red Bull.
