Karun Chandhok believes Lewis Hamilton’s Belgian Grand Prix FP3 crash stemmed from a minor error at Turn 14 which had significant consequences. After reviewing the Ferrari driver’s onboard footage, the former Formula 1 driver explained that Lewis Hamilton missed the ideal inside kerb, ran slightly wider than on his best lap and ultimately put his right-side tyres onto the dusty edge of the circuit.
The resulting snap of oversteer sent Lewis Hamilton into the barrier at the exit of Stavelot just as the chequered flag was displayed to end final practice. The contact damaged the rear-right suspension of the Ferrari SF-26, creating a demanding repair job for the team before qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps.
Karun Chandhok identifies Lewis Hamilton’s crucial Turn 14 error
Lewis Hamilton’s accident closely resembled Pierre Gasly’s FP2 crash on Friday. Both drivers ran wide through Turn 14 at the Fagnes chicane, entered the gravel on the outside and struck the end of the same barrier. Pierre Gasly spun after his contact, while the seven-time world champion avoided a full rotation but still suffered race-ending damage to the rear-right corner of his Ferrari.
Karun Chandhok nevertheless considered the origins of the two incidents to be different. Analysing Lewis Hamilton’s fastest FP3 lap on Sky Sports F1, Karun Chandhok noted that the Ferrari driver had positioned the car over the white line and onto the inside kerb on the left. According to Karun Chandhok, that placement helped rotate the car, reduced understeer and allowed Lewis Hamilton to exit on the desired trajectory.
On the lap that ended in the barrier, Karun Chandhok observed that Lewis Hamilton did not connect with that kerb in the same way. He identified a small steering correction on turn-in and explained that the Ferrari was already wider than the white line as it approached the apex.
That seemingly limited difference altered the rest of the corner. Karun Chandhok argued that the wider entry created understeer and forced Lewis Hamilton onto a broader line through the chicane. With the right-side tyres on the dusty surface, the Ferrari snapped into oversteer before hitting the barrier.
Late soft-tyre attempt ends Ferrari’s FP3 early
Lewis Hamilton was attempting a final flying lap on the soft C4 Pirelli tyres when the accident occurred. He had already lost time in the first sector compared with his best effort, before the mistake through Turn 14 ended the run and left the seven-time world champion stranded at the exit of Stavelot.
Earlier in FP3, the Briton had posted a 1:46.382 on the C4 compound to finish fifth. Charles Leclerc was sixth in the second Ferrari with a 1:46.750, leaving both drivers some distance from the benchmark time. Ferrari’s preparation for qualifying is particularly important at a venue where battery energy can significantly affect straight-line speed over a single lap.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli led the final practice session for Mercedes with a 1:45.990 and was the only driver to enter the 1:45s. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and George Russell also finished ahead of the Ferrari pair, underlining the work facing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc before the qualifying session.
The crash also adds to the challenge of finding a stable balance around Spa’s demanding sequence of high-speed sections. Ferrari have been assessing its package closely throughout the weekend, with the latest Belgian Grand Prix technical developments forming an important part of the broader picture.
For Lewis Hamilton, the immediate concern was the condition of his car rather than a lack of outright pace. Karun Chandhok’s analysis suggested that the accident did not arise from a major loss of control, but from a very small deviation in car placement at a corner where the dusty outer edge left no margin for recovery.
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