Ferrari has been fined 30,000 euros after an incident during the Belgian GP, where Lewis Hamilton hit a mechanic while leaving his pit box. The Brit had come in, among other reasons, to serve a previously imposed five-second penalty following his collision with George Russell. After the tire change, a mechanic stepped in front of the car with a tool for the front wing, after which Hamilton hit him. The mechanic fell but remained unharmed.
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After investigation, the FIA stewards concluded that it was an unsafe release. Ferrari was fined 30,000 euros, of which 10,000 is conditional for a period of twelve months. “When car number 44 left the pit stop, a mechanic stepped in front of the right front tire as the F1 car moved forward,” the stewards wrote in their official report. “He fell but was not injured.”
The report shows that several factors came together. “The team explained that the incident occurred in a complex and unusual combination of circumstances. Hamilton had received a time penalty for a driving violation, which he had to serve before work could be done on the F1 car. Moreover, Leclerc was in his pit box when Hamilton entered the pit lane. He told his race engineer that he wanted an adjustment to the front wing, but this was not communicated to the team.”
‘Hamilton is not to blame’
The stewards found that communication within Ferrari was lacking. “The tire change was completed, the F1 car was released, and the controller gave Hamilton the signal to leave. Just as the driver drove away, another mechanic with a tool for the front wing blocked the right front tire. Before stepping forward, he looked down at the tool and did not see the green light.”
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“The team acknowledged that it was unsafe to send the car onto the track under these circumstances,” said the FIA. “Ferrari attributed the error to a late instruction for the wing adjustment, a lack of clear communication, and the fact that the mechanic did not notice the green light. They have committed to reviewing the pit stop procedures to ensure that such an incident will not happen again.” The stewards emphasized that Hamilton was not to blame and that the incident ‘did not warrant a sporting penalty,’ but did warrant a fine. The conditional part of the sanction will only be waived if Ferrari commits no similar violation in the next twelve months and also submits a report to the FIA about the incident and the tightened safety procedures.
Drama in the Ferrari pit, Lewis Hamilton hit one of his mechanics!#F1 #Formula1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/VFkFW0wKHV
— Formula 1 (@Formula1) July 19, 2026
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