Lewis Hamilton feared he had seriously injured a Ferrari mechanic during the Belgian GP. The seven-time world champion collided during his only pit stop with a team member who was still working on the front wing. The mechanic fell but remained unharmed. The incident ultimately resulted in a fine for Ferrari. Hamilton is mainly relieved that the mechanic was not injured – an earlier pit lane incident involving Kimi Räikkönen haunted his mind.
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Hamilton’s only tire change went smoothly, but when he was given the signal to leave his pit box, he collided with his right front wheel against a mechanic who still wanted to make adjustments to the front wing. The team acknowledged that the incident occurred due to late instructions for the wing adjustment, a lack of clear communication, and the fact that the mechanic had not seen the green light. The FIA stewards issued a fine of 30,000 euros, of which 10,000 was conditional.
Afterwards, Hamilton said the moment immediately reminded him of the serious pit stop incident involving Kimi Räikkönen during the 2018 Bahrain GP. The Iceman – then also driving for Ferrari – was given the green light too early and ran over the leg of a tire mechanic. The mechanic suffered a broken lower leg. “The green light went on, so I went,” Hamilton reflected with Sky Sports. “So it’s probably more the team’s fault. But when I saw him fall, I stopped immediately. I immediately thought of that time when Kimi (Räikkönen, ed.) ran over his mechanic and my heart sank. I’m very glad he’s okay.”
Hamilton takes responsibility
The Ferrari driver ultimately finished fourth at Spa-Francorchamps, after earlier in the race receiving a five-second penalty for a collision with George Russell. The result came after a difficult weekend in which Hamilton crashed heavily during FP3 and thus started qualifying at a disadvantage. The Brit emphasized that he holds himself responsible for the missed opportunity. “I don’t see myself as unlucky. If you look at the mistake I made yesterday, I have to take full responsibility for the fourth place I ultimately achieved,” he admitted.
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“I damaged the car, then the car was rebuilt, but they overlooked something on the suspension, which made the balance completely different. That meant I was a few tenths, maybe even three tenths slower than I should have been in qualifying. Then I also got a five-second penalty. So it was a domino effect caused by a mistake of mine. The team did a great job with the strategy and the pit stops. We keep improving the car and I think with our speed today, without the damage, we could have fought for the win.”
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