Lewis Hamilton Questions FIA Decision After Shock Q1 Knockout at Spa

Ferrari Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton said that he will be visiting the FIA stewards after his lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits during the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session. As a result, Hamilton was knocked out in Q1 and will start Sunday’s race from P16.

Hamilton’s race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps didn’t start on a good note, given his Q1 exit from the sprint race qualifying on Friday, when the rear of his Ferrari SF-25 locked up unexpectedly.

The Briton remarked that a new suspension upgrade had made no difference to the way his car handled. Following his P15 finish in the sprint race, Hamilton looked forward to a positive start to the qualifying session for the Grand Prix.

However, the FIA stewards noted that all four wheels of his SF-25 had gone beyond the white lines, leading to the deletion of his lap time of 1:41.664, which would have guaranteed a Q2 entry.

The 40-year-old driver was confident that he had taken the same line earlier, and revealed that he would take up the matter with the stewards. Speaking to the media, he said:

“Well it is what it is, that’s my mistake, so I’m just really sorry to the team for all the hard work, all the testing, you know, the filming day that we did, and all the preparation, and then you come here and you don’t even make it through Q1, which is unacceptable. I’m really sorry.”

When asked if he agreed that all four wheels had crossed the line, he said:

“I don’t agree, no. But I’m out.”

Asked if that was the line he had been taking throughout the weekend, he said:

“Pretty much, yeah. I wouldn’t say all weekend, I mean, everyone takes that kerb, it’s probably the furthest I’ve been.”

Quizzed if he would take this up with the stewards later, he said: “Yes.”

Given the challenges he currently faces with the SF-25, Hamilton was asked if the car was better during qualifying. He said: “No, not really.”

Looking forward to the Grand Prix, he added: “There’s always opportunities in the race, so we’ll see what I can do from there.”

Given the limitations of the SF-25, which even Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc has pointed out, the Briton was asked about Ferrari’s priorities and if the goal is to make a better car for 2026. He said:

“I mean, we’re trying to do the best with what we have. And then obviously everyone’s working flat out back in the factory. We have had upgrades, but I think that’s probably it for the rest of the year. And then I think the focus is now, back at the factory at least, is to focus on next year’s car. This season has been a tricky one.”