Lewis Hamilton admits his heart sank during frightening Ferrari pit-lane incident. Lewis Hamilton reacts to George Russell collision and Ferrari mechanic scare at Spa.

Lewis Hamilton described his collision with George Russell as a “racing incident” and argued that Ferrari carried more responsibility for the alarming pit-stop episode in which one of the team’s mechanics was knocked over. Despite a weekend compromised by several setbacks, the British driver recovered to finish fourth in the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Lewis Hamilton had already described the sequence of events as a domino effect that began with his accident during the closing stages of FP3. The crash required Ferrari to complete a significant repair job and left the SF-26 with a less-than-optimal set-up, contributing to Lewis Hamilton starting from the third row. The subsequent contact with George Russell resulted in a five-second penalty, while his pit stop produced another frightening moment when a Ferrari mechanic fell after being struck by the car’s front-right wheel.

Under those circumstances, Lewis Hamilton’s fourth-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps can be regarded as a respectable result. The Ferrari driver later discussed the two most dramatic moments of his Belgian Grand Prix and explained why he disagreed with the stewards’ assessment of the collision.

Lewis Hamilton calls George Russell clash a racing incident

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made contact during the opening stages of the race, with the Mercedes driver spinning into the gravel and retiring. Lewis Hamilton was subsequently handed a five-second penalty for causing the collision, although he believed the outcome of the incident influenced the stewards’ decision.

Asked by Sky Italia about the penalty, Lewis Hamilton said: “The penalty? Yes, I think they gave it to me because George retired and they thought they should take action. Even so, I think it was a racing incident. It is something that happens in racing. Neither he nor I was particularly aggressive. These things happen; it was an unfortunate incident.”

The contact was another setback in a weekend already affected by Lewis Hamilton’s late accident during the final practice session, which forced Ferrari to rebuild several areas of the SF-26 before qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari bore more responsibility for pit-stop scare

Lewis Hamilton also addressed the chaotic Ferrari pit stop during which a mechanic was knocked to the ground. The driver explained that he had followed the green-light signal telling him that he was clear to leave the pit box and had immediately stopped after noticing the mechanic beside the car.

Speaking to Sky UK, Lewis Hamilton said: “Honestly, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t do anything unusual: I did what the green light told me to do, so I pulled away. You look this way, not that way. So ultimately, the responsibility probably lies more with the team.

“But when it happened, I noticed it and stopped. Perhaps the only thing that went through my mind at that moment was when the mechanic broke his leg in the pits with Kimi. My heart really sank for a second, but I’m very grateful that he is okay.”

The Ferrari mechanic was fortunately unharmed following the incident. Lewis Hamilton’s immediate concern was evident after he stopped the SF-26, while Ferrari later confirmed the mechanic’s condition following the pit-lane scare.