Lewis Hamilton said a brake-balance problem affected his repaired Ferrari during the final part of Belgian Grand Prix qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, after a difficult Q3 left the seven-time world champion disappointed with his own performance. The British driver also said that the yellow flag which appeared near the pit-lane entry and disrupted Charles Leclerc’s final lap did not affect him because he did not see it.
Hamilton’s SF-26 had required extensive repairs after his FP3 accident, with Ferrari’s mechanics working against the clock to prepare the car for qualifying. Although the team completed that task, Hamilton explained that he did not have the same feeling once he returned to the cockpit.
Lewis Hamilton did not see the Spa yellow flag
Sky Italia asked Lewis Hamilton about the yellow flag displayed in the final sector, which was related to the pit-lane entry and compromised the closing part of Charles Leclerc’s lap. Hamilton appeared surprised by the question and said: “I didn’t see the yellow flag, it didn’t affect me at all. There wasn’t a yellow flag. There was a marshal holding it, from what I saw. Or at least, I didn’t see it.”
The incident added to the debate surrounding the final moments of Q3, although the FIA’s guidance indicated that the flag in that location was intended for pit-lane traffic rather than cars still on track. The circumstances behind the Spa yellow-flag confusion and the FIA’s energy-management challenge made the final qualifying runs particularly tense.
Hamilton reveals Ferrari brake-balance issue in Q3
Lewis Hamilton then explained the issue he encountered on the Ferrari repaired after his FP3 crash: an imbalance in the braking system. The Ferrari driver said: “I’m disappointed in myself for Q3. I had a brake problem and I didn’t want to damage it. But the guys did a fantastic job repairing the car and getting it ready for qualifying.”
Hamilton praised Ferrari’s mechanics for their work but admitted that the car did not feel the same as it had earlier in the weekend. His comments arrive after Ferrari’s pre-qualifying expectations for the Belgian Grand Prix had underlined how important it would be to extract every fraction of performance at the demanding Ardennes circuit.
He concluded: “I didn’t have the same feeling when I got into the car and that was my problem, my mistake. I still think I did the maximum. I thought I could have had a couple more tenths in Q3, but I did my best.”
Lewis Hamilton is set to start the Belgian Grand Prix from the third row, in fifth position alongside McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.
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