Watch: Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare spin ends Sprint Qualifying at Spa in SQ1

Watch: Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare spin ends Sprint Qualifying at Spa in SQ1. Watch the dramatic moment Lewis Hamilton spun out and was eliminated in SQ1.

The weekend got off to a disastrous start for seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who will now start 18th in tomorrow’s Sprint race.

The highly anticipated Spa-Francorchamps weekend, marked in red by Ferrari especially to test the new rear suspension system, began in the worst possible way for the team. Lewis Hamilton—who just yesterday during the press conference had spoken as the undisputed team leader, emphasizing that he does not want to follow in the footsteps of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who as Ferrari drivers had failed to replicate their previous triumphs elsewhere—was dramatically eliminated in the first segment (SQ1) of the Sprint qualifying session.

This represents a heavy blow practically, as it nearly eliminates his chances of scoring points in the shortened Sprint race scheduled for tomorrow at 12:00 local time, and it certainly deals a psychological setback as well. Hamilton finished the session in 18th position after suffering a spin in the final sector of his last timed lap when he was already on the brink of elimination. The SF-25 car bearing number 44 experienced a strong rear wheel lock-up, the causes of which—whether driver error or a technical fault—will surely be investigated during the day.

The result was an off-track excursion for the red car into the asphalt runoff area at the chicane before the start-finish straight. Thus, the Friday afternoon session for the seven-time World Champion ended prematurely, serving as a telling summary of Hamilton’s challenging first half of the season with Ferrari—a period that has fallen far short of the high expectations set during the pre-season.