Lewis Hamilton believes the five-second penalty he received during the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix was too severe after his opening-lap contact with George Russell. The Ferrari driver recovered to finish fourth at Spa-Francorchamps and regain second place in the Formula 1 standings, before turning his attention towards what he expects to be a promising Hungarian Grand Prix for the SF-26.
Starting fifth behind Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and George Russell, Lewis Hamilton attempted to move down the inside of the Mercedes driver during the opening exchanges. His left-front wheel made contact with the rear of the W17, sending George Russell out of the race only moments after the start.
Lewis Hamilton penalised after contact with George Russell
Viewed from the outside, the collision could be interpreted as the type of racing incident that is often left unpunished during the crowded and aggressive opening lap. On this occasion, however, the stewards handed Lewis Hamilton a five-second time penalty. The source article argues that the severity of the outcome for George Russell may have influenced the decision, although this remains an interpretation rather than a confirmed explanation from race control.
The incident was one of several important moments in a complicated afternoon for Ferrari, which still secured second place with Charles Leclerc and fourth with Lewis Hamilton. A full account of the Scuderia’s race is available in our Ferrari Belgian GP review.
A possible Ferrari podium lost through the penalty
Overall, Lewis Hamilton’s race was slightly less impressive than that of Charles Leclerc, but the balance of power between the two Ferrari drivers had looked very different earlier in the weekend. During free practice, Lewis Hamilton appeared more comfortable and confident in the SF-26 at a circuit where he has enjoyed considerable success throughout his career.
That picture changed after Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers at the end of FP3. From that point onwards, Charles Leclerc rediscovered the strong connection with the car that Lewis Hamilton had previously enjoyed, while the seven-time world champion faced a more difficult remainder of the weekend.
Despite those setbacks, Lewis Hamilton secured a solid fourth place and would have been classified third without the five-second penalty served during his pit stop. Ferrari brought him in around the halfway point to change from the medium tyres to the hard compound, but the stop also produced a frightening moment when the car was released as a Ferrari mechanic remained close to its path. Fortunately, nobody was injured.
The pit-stop sequence was further complicated by Ferrari’s unsuccessful attempt to adjust the front wing, an issue that affected the handling of Lewis Hamilton’s car during the second stint. The consequences of the incident are examined in greater detail in our analysis of Ferrari’s missed front-wing adjustment at Spa.
Hamilton recovers after slow hard-tyre warm-up
Lewis Hamilton needed approximately five or six laps to bring the hard tyres into their optimal operating window. Once the compound reached the necessary temperature, his pace improved and he reduced the gap to Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
The Ferrari driver eventually overtook Oscar Piastri by taking full advantage of the slipstream, securing fourth place at the chequered flag. George Russell’s retirement also allowed Lewis Hamilton to reclaim second position in the drivers’ championship, leaving him 45 points behind leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Lewis Hamilton calls Belgian GP penalty too harsh
Speaking to Sky Sport after the race, Lewis Hamilton offered only a brief assessment of the penalty before focusing on the next round of the season. When asked whether he believed the stewards had punished him because George Russell’s race ended in the collision, Lewis Hamilton replied:
“I definitely think so. I believe the stewards wanted to make a punitive decision because of the consequences of the contact, although from my point of view it was too harsh a penalty. In the end, it was something that commonly happens during a race, particularly in the opening stages. Both he and I were especially aggressive. These things happen, and it was simply an unfortunate incident.”
Lewis Hamilton nevertheless preferred to emphasise the positives Ferrari could take from Spa, where the SF-26 displayed encouraging performance despite the difficulties created by the circuit’s long straights and demanding energy-management requirements.
“In any case, with hindsight, we are looking at the good things we managed to achieve this weekend,” Lewis Hamilton added. “Ferrari’s overall assessment remains positive, and that gives us the right momentum for the future.”
Hamilton confident Ferrari will be strong in Hungary
Lewis Hamilton is optimistic ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the Hungaroring’s high concentration of corners and relative lack of long straights could place greater emphasis on the strengths of Ferrari’s chassis. However, the team must avoid assuming the circuit will automatically suit the SF-26, as Charles Leclerc has already warned in his assessment of Ferrari’s prospects in Hungary.
“I feel optimistic,” Lewis Hamilton said while looking ahead to the next weekend. “I feel this car 100 per cent, and I think the SF-26 will be very strong in Hungary. If we can find the ideal set-up from free practice onwards and avoid the logistical and set-up mistakes we encountered this weekend, then I am convinced that we can fight for the very top positions.”
The Hungarian Grand Prix will provide Ferrari with an immediate opportunity to build on its Spa result before the summer break. The complete 2026 Hungarian GP timetable and viewing schedule covers every session at the Hungaroring.
Although Lewis Hamilton left Belgium believing that a possible podium had been lost, fourth place still represented an important recovery after his FP3 accident and the penalty that followed his collision with George Russell. Ferrari’s overall pace gave him confidence that a cleaner weekend in Budapest could put both red cars in contention at the front.
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