Lewis Hamilton believes his collision with George Russell at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix should have been treated as a racing incident rather than earning him a five-second penalty. The Ferrari driver also claimed he had the pace to challenge for victory at Spa-Francorchamps without the aerodynamic damage sustained in the contact and the consequences of his crash during final practice.
The seven-time world champion accepted full responsibility for the FP3 accident that disrupted the rest of his weekend, but he disagreed with the stewards’ verdict on the opening-lap clash. Lewis Hamilton explained that the rebuild following Saturday’s crash left the SF-26 with an incorrect suspension setting, costing him several tenths in qualifying and placing him lower on the grid than he believed the car’s potential justified.
Lewis Hamilton’s Belgian GP regrets began with FP3 crash
Lewis Hamilton was left with several regrets after a difficult Belgian Grand Prix weekend, beginning with his accident during the closing moments of FP3. A mistake towards the end of the second sector sent the British driver into the barrier, causing extensive damage across the rear area of his Ferrari.
The collision forced Ferrari’s mechanics to undertake a major repair operation to rebuild the SF-26 in time for qualifying. Although the team succeeded in returning the car to the track, Lewis Hamilton and team principal Fred Vasseur later explained that its configuration was not perfect when it left the garage.
That problem influenced the remainder of the weekend. A small difference in the suspension configuration affected the balance of the car and potentially cost Lewis Hamilton the fractions of a second that could have transformed his starting position.
“It was a difficult weekend,” Lewis Hamilton said after the race. “I take full responsibility for my accident yesterday, which then also led to an incorrect set-up and to me being out of position in qualifying. I think that, with the right set-up, I probably could have fought for third or second place.”
The incident came during a weekend in which teams had introduced and assessed several developments, as outlined in the technical analysis of the latest Belgian GP upgrades.
Suspension setting left Ferrari several tenths slower
Lewis Hamilton revealed that Ferrari had missed something in the suspension settings while rebuilding the car after the FP3 accident. As a result, the balance was significantly different from what he had expected during qualifying.
“When they rebuilt the car, they missed something in the suspension,” Lewis Hamilton explained. “The balance was completely different. That meant I was probably a couple of tenths, perhaps three tenths, slower in qualifying than I should have been.”
Those lost tenths had wider consequences. Starting fifth left Lewis Hamilton surrounded by traffic during the opening lap and placed him in the sequence that ultimately led to contact with George Russell at Turn 5.
The stewards ruled that Lewis Hamilton had understeered into the Mercedes and did not retain sufficient control to avoid the collision. Because the incident occurred on the opening lap, the circumstances were treated as mitigating, and the standard ten-second penalty was reduced to five seconds.
Lewis Hamilton disputes penalty for George Russell collision
Lewis Hamilton did suffer some understeer during the incident, partly because he was running closely behind Max Verstappen. Following another car at close range reduced the aerodynamic load available at the front of the Ferrari, affecting its ability to hold the intended line.
However, opinions differed over whether the contact justified a penalty. George Russell later described it as an ordinary racing incident, while Lewis Hamilton also disagreed with the stewards’ conclusion.
“My qualifying position meant I started further back and then found myself in a situation where George Russell appeared to lose power,” Lewis Hamilton said. “He simply came around the outside, and we ended up closing towards one another.”
George Russell’s loss of power made him vulnerable on the Kemmel Straight, where both Ferrari drivers rapidly closed on the Mercedes. The episode also underlined the decisive role of electrical energy under the 2026 regulations, an issue Lewis Hamilton had already addressed when he questioned battery-driven overtaking before the Belgian GP.
Following the collision, Lewis Hamilton lost the aerodynamic elements positioned on the left-hand side near the front of the floor. The source identifies these components as bargeboards and compares the damage with what happened after his earlier contact with Franco Colapinto in Miami.
Those parts controlled the airflow entering the forward section of the floor, meaning their loss left the SF-26 aerodynamically unbalanced.
“I had damage and, unfortunately, I had to spend time recovering from that situation,” Lewis Hamilton added. “During the race, I did the maximum possible with the damage I had and also with the penalty. But I think it was a racing incident and there should not have been a penalty.”
Ferrari lost significant downforce after the contact
Lewis Hamilton could not quantify the precise aerodynamic loss, but he believed the Ferrari had surrendered a considerable amount of downforce. The entire front section of the floor on the affected side was compromised, leaving the handling problem present throughout the race.
“In terms of the overall damage, I think we lost an enormous amount of downforce,” Lewis Hamilton said. “I don’t know what the numbers were, but the problem was still there, and the front part of the floor was gone.”
Ferrari attempted to compensate by adjusting the car’s settings and giving Lewis Hamilton continuous guidance over the radio. However, the team was unable to make one important front-wing adjustment during his final stop.
“Then, during the final pit stop, we were unable to change the front-wing angle because it was a double pit stop,” Lewis Hamilton continued. “At that point, I was simply grateful that he had not been hurt.”
Pit-stop release left mechanic at risk
When Lewis Hamilton served his five-second penalty, the Ferrari mechanics did not have enough time to complete the planned front-wing adjustment. The change was needed to rebalance the SF-26 after the aerodynamic damage and to compensate for the switch to a different tyre compound.
Lewis Hamilton left the pit box as soon as the light turned green, even though the mechanics had not completed every operation. According to the source, the error therefore concerned the release signal rather than the driver moving before he had been instructed to do so.
One mechanic was involved in the episode but fortunately escaped injury. Lewis Hamilton was subsequently placed under investigation for an unsafe release. Since no rival car was involved, the British driver hoped race control would decide against imposing another sporting penalty and potentially deal with the matter through a fine for Ferrari instead.
Virtual Safety Car strategy gave Ferrari victory opportunity
Ferrari’s decision to delay its pit stop proved decisive in the battle near the front. The team was able to take advantage of the Virtual Safety Car and gain track position over Andrea Kimi Antonelli, giving Charles Leclerc the opportunity to lead and fight for victory.
The same strategy might also have rewarded Lewis Hamilton more significantly without his five-second penalty. Despite his disappointment, the British driver praised Ferrari’s strategists and the wider progress made by the team.
The Belgian Grand Prix was particularly demanding because of the energy-management challenge created by Spa’s long full-throttle sections. Ferrari nevertheless executed a strategy that placed Charles Leclerc ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and kept Lewis Hamilton in contention for a strong result.
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari had pace to win
Lewis Hamilton also referred to the numerous updates Ferrari has introduced recently, arguing that they have produced a noticeable improvement in the SF-26. In his assessment, the car possessed enough underlying performance to fight for victory without the damage that compromised his race.
“I think the team is making excellent strategic decisions, and overall we have really raised our level in everything we do during a weekend,” Lewis Hamilton said.
“Without the damage, I believe we had the pace to win. We gave everything to bring home some points.”
Lewis Hamilton ultimately finished fourth despite the incorrect suspension setting in qualifying, the collision with George Russell, the loss of aerodynamic components and the five-second penalty. His recovery still contributed valuable points to Ferrari’s Belgian Grand Prix total, but he left Spa believing that a much stronger result had been available.
The claim that Ferrari had winning pace remains Lewis Hamilton’s assessment rather than a confirmed conclusion. However, Charles Leclerc’s ability to lead the race and finish second supported the view that the SF-26 had strong underlying race performance, even though Ferrari continued to face limitations on Spa’s straights.
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