The unusual exchange was observed by Franco Nugnes of the Italian edition of Motorsport.com. Nugnes suggested that Lewis Hamilton may have been taking an additional precaution to ensure the missing component was considered when the SF-26 underwent its post-race technical checks, although neither the driver nor Ferrari confirmed that this was his reason.
Lewis Hamilton hands damaged Ferrari bodywork to FIA staff
The component became detached when Lewis Hamilton made contact with Mercedes driver George Russell at Les Combes on the opening lap. Marshals subsequently recovered the debris and returned it to the Ferrari driver.
According to Franco Nugnes, Lewis Hamilton then took the recovered bodywork to FIA technical personnel after the race. The journalist interpreted the action as a possible attempt to guard against any risk of the Ferrari being found below the minimum weight because of the damage it had sustained.
Such an outcome would have been highly controversial given that the missing weight resulted from an on-track collision. Nevertheless, Formula 1’s recent history contains several examples of strong results being erased by post-race technical infringements, giving Lewis Hamilton an understandable reason to exercise caution if that was indeed his intention.
Recent disqualifications provide important context
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified from the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, although for different technical infringements. Hamilton’s Ferrari was excluded because of excessive plank wear, while Leclerc lost his result after his car was found to be below the minimum weight.
Charles Leclerc had sustained front-wing damage at the start of the Shanghai race. During the subsequent technical inspection, the FIA accounted for the missing section by using an official replacement component, illustrating the procedure available when a car loses weight through accidental damage.
Unexpected tyre wear was also identified as a factor in Charles Leclerc’s underweight car after Ferrari switched to an unplanned one-stop strategy. A similar issue had affected George Russell at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, when the Mercedes driver was disqualified from victory after his car failed the post-race weight check.
Russell’s exclusion promoted his then-Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to victory at Spa. The circumstances surrounding the damaged Ferrari in 2026 were markedly different, but those previous cases provide context for why the recovered component may have been treated carefully.
Penalty and pit-lane investigation add to Hamilton’s complicated race
The missing bodywork was only one element of a difficult Belgian Grand Prix for Lewis Hamilton. The stewards held him responsible for causing the opening-lap collision with George Russell and imposed a five-second penalty.
Further scrutiny followed when contact occurred between Hamilton’s car and a Ferrari mechanic in the pit box after he served the penalty. The incident prompted an unsafe-release investigation, although Ferrari avoided an additional sporting sanction and received a fine instead.
Despite those complications, Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and collected 12 championship points. The result allowed him to regain second place in the drivers’ standings, strengthening the argument that Ferrari needs to maximise Hamilton’s contribution to its championship campaign.
Hamilton has finished inside the top six at every Grand Prix of the season. His result also completed an encouraging Belgian weekend for Ferrari, even though Charles Leclerc narrowly missed victory after Ferrari’s switch to hard tyres.
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