Lewis Hamilton’s weekend at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix has turned into a downward spiral, as the highly decorated Ferrari driver continues to struggle through both the Sprint and the main qualifying session at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The historic racetrack nestled in Belgium’s Ardennes forest has often been a successful venue for Lewis Hamilton over the course of his illustrious Formula 1 career. Only the legendary Michael Schumacher, who claimed six victories at Spa, has secured more wins at the Belgian Grand Prix than the five each achieved by Ayrton Senna and Hamilton. In addition to his race wins, Lewis Hamilton also holds six pole positions at the Belgian circuit, topping qualifying in 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020. His final win for Mercedes came at Spa in 2024, following George Russell’s disqualification. However, his return in 2025 as a Ferrari driver has been marred by disappointment.
Damon Hill believes Ferrari was left ‘embarrassed’ by Lewis Hamilton’s early qualifying exit at Spa
Hamilton’s difficulties began in Sprint Qualifying, where he spun out during SQ1 and was forced to settle for a lowly P18 starting position for the Saturday Sprint. The incident occurred when he lost control of the rear of his SF-25 under braking at the Bus Stop Chicane. Earlier in the session, he had already experienced a moment of instability at Stavelot. He ultimately recovered slightly to finish 15th in the Sprint, but the performance was far below expectations.
Unfortunately, things did not improve for the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion in qualifying for the main Grand Prix. Hamilton posted a lap time of 1:41.664, which initially placed him seventh on the Q1 leaderboard. However, the lap was subsequently deleted after he exceeded track limits at Raidillon. The infraction happened when Hamilton turned in marginally early as he ascended through Eau Rouge, resulting in all four wheels of his Ferrari crossing the inside of the white line at the top of the hill. That breach meant Hamilton’s time was invalidated, relegating him to P16 and ending his session prematurely.
Former Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, expressed confusion about Hamilton’s judgment during the lap. Hill noted that the Ferrari garage appeared visibly uncomfortable, describing the team’s body language as “embarrassed.” He suggested that Hamilton did not need to take such a risk through the high-speed section, especially given the competitive pace he had already demonstrated. Hill felt that the aggressive approach was unnecessary and questioned what had motivated the veteran driver to use that much track when the potential time gain was minimal.
Lewis Hamilton records his worst Ferrari qualifying result to date at the Belgian Grand Prix
Hamilton’s P16 finish in qualifying marks his lowest starting position in a Grand Prix since making the high-profile switch to Scuderia Ferrari ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season. Previously, his worst qualifying performances with the Italian team had come in Miami and at the Imola round, where he had secured 12th on the grid in both instances.
Despite those setbacks earlier in the season, Lewis Hamilton had managed to convert his position in Miami into an eighth-place finish, and he later took fourth in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix—Ferrari’s home event. That fourth-place result remains his joint-best finish so far with the Maranello-based squad across twelve races in the current championship.
Given the circumstances, Lewis Hamilton would have certainly anticipated a stronger performance in Spa, especially with Ferrari introducing an upgraded rear suspension package at the Belgian Grand Prix. His teammate Charles Leclerc offered a glimpse of the car’s potential, comfortably advancing to Q3 for the thirteenth time in the season, which reaffirmed that the SF-25 had considerably more pace available under the right conditions.
Yet for Lewis Hamilton, the struggles with rear-end instability—an issue that team ambassador Marc Gené confirmed has been a persistent complaint—seem to continue plaguing his campaign. Despite high hopes entering the weekend and flashes of promising pace, the veteran British driver now faces another uphill battle on Sunday at a circuit where he once reigned supreme.
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