Ferrari faced a big challenge just hours before qualifying for the Belgian GP: Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers in the final phase of FP3, after which the team had to pull out all the stops to get the SF-26 ready in time. In the end, Hamilton was able to participate in qualifying, although he only managed sixth place. The crash earlier in the day may have played a role, he admitted afterwards.
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Ferrari’s mechanics managed to repair the car before qualifying, but Hamilton noticed that the car no longer felt the same as during the earlier session. Despite his sixth place, the Brit was satisfied with his own performance and stated that he had gotten everything out of the car. “The guys did a great job repairing the car, and these things just happen,” Hamilton said after Saturday’s session. “You just have to move on.”
Got everything out
“I got everything I could out of it,” he assured. “I think my lap times were pretty good.” According to Hamilton, however, the emergency repair did affect the setup of his car. Especially the rear suspension caused the car to respond differently during qualifying than in the third free practice, in which he felt competitive.
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“There was something wrong with the rear suspension, which meant the balance was not the same as during FP3,” the Brit noted. “Back then, the whole package felt really great. The team fought until the very last moment to get the car repaired in time, and I am very grateful to them for that,” he emphasized finally. “Let’s hope the balance is still good during the race.”
Hamilton finds the barriers 💥 Here’s what happened 👇#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/FeNgjTo1Js
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— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2026
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