Lewis Hamilton fully accepted responsibility for his failure to finish on the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver stated that his accident in FP3 determined the outcome of his fourth-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps.
The FP3 accident created a domino effect.
In the final minutes of the weekend's last free practice session, Hamilton went over Turn 13 at too high speed and into the gravel strip in front of the barrier. The right rear wheel of his car made contact with the barrier, and the Ferrari SF-26 sustained significant damage to its rear end. Ferrari mechanics repaired the car, but Hamilton stated that the ride balance did not return to its pre-accident state, resulting in a lap time loss of approximately two to three centimeters in qualifying.
Hamilton told Sky: “I don’t think I was unlucky. I’m thinking about my own mistake the day before. I take full responsibility for finishing fourth because I damaged the car. The team rebuilt the car but they overlooked something in the suspension. The balance was completely different. So I was probably two, maybe three seconds slower than I should have been in qualifying.”
The loss in qualifying dropped Hamilton to the back of the grid. Hamilton, who received a five-second penalty for contact with George Russell at the start of the race, considered this penalty the final link in the domino effect triggered by Saturday's crash.
Mechanic collision at pit stop and lost front wing adjustment.
Hamilton's misfortunes didn't end there. At the pit exit, as Ferrari gave the green light, he made contact with a mechanic who was adjusting the flap angle of the front wing. The mechanic was unharmed, but as a result of the contact, Hamilton was unable to get the front wing adjustment done and experienced problems at the start of his hard tire stint. Hamilton had also received a five-second penalty at Silverstone for moving the car before the start.
Despite all the setbacks, Hamilton emphasized that he was seeing promising signs regarding Ferrari's speed potential: “If it weren't for the damage today, we could have been competing for the win. The team is making great decisions regarding strategy and pit stops. We are developing the car in the right direction. I need to do a proper job next week.”
Ferrari's target for Hungary
Hamilton has pledged to perform as he knows best for the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, acknowledging the expectations placed upon him. While the team continues to improve the car, Hamilton aims to erase his own mistakes.