Bernie Collins identified a late front-wing instruction and a breakdown in communication as the key factors behind the frightening moment in which Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari knocked down a mechanic during the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
The incident occurred when Lewis Hamilton followed Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc into the pits during a Virtual Safety Car period at Spa-Francorchamps. Before Ferrari could work on his car, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion had to serve a five-second penalty imposed for his earlier collision with Mercedes driver George Russell.
Once the penalty had been served, Ferrari changed Lewis Hamilton’s tyres and activated the green release light. However, a mechanic carrying the equipment required to alter the right side of the front wing had not cleared the path of the car. Lewis Hamilton began to move away before immediately stopping when he noticed the mechanic beside the right-front wheel. Ferrari subsequently informed him over the radio that the team member was unharmed, with the FIA later confirming that the mechanic had not been injured.
Bernie Collins points to late Ferrari front-wing instruction
Lewis Hamilton had been struggling with understeer during the opening stint and had requested a front-wing adjustment through race engineer Carlo Santi. Ferrari therefore intended to change the wing angle while fitting his new tyres, although the instruction did not reach every member of the pit crew at the appropriate moment.
After studying the onboard footage, former Formula 1 strategist and Sky Sports F1 analyst Bernie Collins explained that the blue device carried by the mechanic was the tool used to adjust the front wing. In her assessment, the mechanic appeared to receive the instruction unusually late and consequently stepped towards the car much later in the pit-stop sequence than would normally be expected.
Bernie Collins indicated that the mechanic attempted to complete the adjustment but ran out of time as the tyre change ended. The car was lowered from its jacks and Lewis Hamilton received the signal to leave just as the mechanic moved towards the front wing. The adjustment was not completed and the mechanic only narrowly moved away from the advancing Ferrari.
Her interpretation was subsequently supported by the stewards’ official explanation. The FIA found that Lewis Hamilton’s request for a front-wing change had not been communicated to the pit-stop super controller. The instruction was instead issued only at the end of the five-second penalty, shortly before the tyre change began.
By the time the front-wing mechanic stepped forward, the wheels had already been replaced, the jack operator had lowered the car and the green light had been activated. According to the stewards, the mechanic was looking down at his adjustment tool and did not notice that Lewis Hamilton had been released.
Ferrari fined as Lewis Hamilton is cleared of responsibility
Ferrari acknowledged that releasing the car under those circumstances had been unsafe. The team attributed the incident to the late wing-adjustment instruction, unclear communication and the mechanic’s failure to see the green signal.
The stewards determined that Lewis Hamilton was not responsible because he had followed the normal release procedure and stopped as soon as he realised the mechanic remained in the car’s path. Rather than gaining an advantage, Lewis Hamilton lost additional time by waiting until the mechanic had moved clear.
Ferrari received a €30,000 fine, of which €10,000 was suspended for 12 months. The team was also instructed to submit a report to the FIA explaining the procedural changes it would introduce to reduce the risk of a similar incident. Further details of the decision can be found in the report explaining why Lewis Hamilton escaped a sporting penalty.
The mechanic’s condition was later formally confirmed, ending the immediate concern created by the footage. Ferrari reported that the team member had escaped unharmed despite being knocked down by the right-front wheel, as detailed in the latest update on the Ferrari mechanic.
Why the Belgian GP pit stop became so complicated
The five-second penalty added an unusual layer of complexity because Ferrari’s mechanics were not permitted to begin working on the car until the sanction had been served. Charles Leclerc was also occupying his pit box when Lewis Hamilton entered the pit lane, adding to the pressure of the sequence during the Virtual Safety Car period.
The missed adjustment had consequences beyond the safety incident. Lewis Hamilton continued to report difficulty turning the Ferrari after leaving the pits because the planned change had not been completed. A separate analysis explains how the unfinished front-wing adjustment affected his Belgian GP pace.
Incidents involving mechanics are rare in modern Formula 1, but there have been notable precedents. At the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly was mistakenly shown a green light before Alpine had secured his right-rear wheel, causing one of the team’s mechanics to be knocked over. At Imola in 2020, Lance Stroll overshot his Racing Point pit box and struck the front-jack operator.
The most serious comparable Ferrari incident occurred at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen was released prematurely and drove over a mechanic’s leg, causing fractures that required surgery. That accident underlined why Formula 1 teams treat pit-stop communication and release procedures as critical safety matters.
Bernie Collins’ initial reading of the onboard footage therefore proved significant. What first appeared to be an inexplicable collision was ultimately traced to a late request that had not travelled correctly through Ferrari’s pit-stop communication chain. The official findings also reinforced the importance of coordinating every instruction during a stop, particularly when penalties, wing changes and closely timed stops create an abnormal sequence. Ferrari’s broader approach at Spa can be explored through the Belgian Grand Prix technical analysis.
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