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Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in the first sprint qualifying session at the Belgian GP as the Ferrari driver spun around during his final lap. The Briton reacted to the critical mistake after the SQ1 session and detailed his disappointment.
Hamilton, since his disqualification at the Chinese GP, had reportedly opted for a front-focused setup with a lifted rear end to prevent the car from bottoming out. However, the new rear suspension brought by Ferrari was reportedly going to help provide the Briton with an optimal setup.
Regardless, Lewis Hamilton's struggled continued as he seemingly fought the SF25 at Spa-Francorchamps during the sprint qualifying. The Briton's first lap wasn't great as he ended up in the elimination zone after the first run. During the final run, coming into the final corner, i.e., the bus stop chicane, Hamilton locked up the rear tires and was sent spinning into the runoff area.
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Lewis Hamilton, after the spin, parked up in that zone and brought out a yellow flag, before he eventually got going after the session ended. The seven-time F1 champion spoke with F1TV after the session and was asked what happened at the final chicane, to which he replied:
“I spun, I spun.”
When asked if it was the rear locking up, he nodded and said, “Mhhm. First time I think in my career.”
“Not great, not great..not really a lot to say,” said Lewis Hamilton when asked how the car was.
The Briton was then asked if the suspension upgrade made the car any better, with Hamilton shaking his head and disagreeing.
“Tomorrow is a new day, so we'll try to, obviously I'm massively frustrated. Lot of work has gone in and to be there is not great,” added Hamilton.
The Ferrari driver will be starting the sprint race in P18, with Kimi Antonelli also getting out in SQ1 and starting P20.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tested the new rear suspension at Mugello
Ferrari brought a major upgrade to the Belgian GP, which was tested at the Mugello circuit earlier this month. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tested the new upgrade, got a feel for it, and gave feedback about the same. As it was brought to the Belgian GP, the two drivers only had one practice session to test it out, as it is a Sprint weekend.
The upgrade in question is the new rear suspension, which is believed to follow the same philosophy as the Mercedes upgraded suspension, where the upper arm of the triangle is brought forward and lower, to help the team run the SF25 at an optimal ride height.
The rear suspension, in combination with the recent floor upgrade, was believed to help with the snappy characteristics of the SF25. However, Hamilton’s post-sprint qualifying interview suggested otherwise.
