Lewis Hamilton’s hopes for a victory at this year’s Belgian Grand Prix were dashed, and he attributes much of that disappointment to an “unlucky” five-second penalty. The seven-time world champion found himself embroiled in controversy after a collision with George Russell on the very first lap, which abruptly ended Russell’s race and left Hamilton reflecting on a weekend filled with challenges.
After crashing during the final moments of Free Practice 3, Hamilton faced a daunting task as Ferrari’s mechanics scrambled to rebuild his SF-26. With just over two hours to go before the race, they had to replace critical components, including the suspension, floor, rear wing, and gearbox. However, Hamilton later revealed that a crucial oversight on the suspension setup impacted his performance throughout the weekend.
“I felt I could have been in contention for the win,” Hamilton shared in a post-race interview with Sky Sports F1. He expressed frustration over the stewards’ decision to penalize him, but he also took ownership of his earlier mistake, acknowledging that it set off a chain reaction affecting his race.
Starting from fifth place, Hamilton managed to gain only one position, finishing fourth. He pointed out that the damage to his car during qualifying left him at a disadvantage, affecting his speed and balance. “I was probably a couple tenths, maybe three tenths slower than I should have been,” he explained, highlighting how everything seemed to spiral from that initial crash.
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton praised his team’s efforts in strategy and pit stops, noting their continuous improvements. “Without the damage, I believe we could have been fighting for the win,” he stated, leaving fans to wonder what might have been if fate had played a kinder hand. What will Hamilton’s next move be as he seeks redemption on the track?
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