Lewis Hamilton explained that he was unacceptable for ejection from the first part of Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, and apologized to Ferrari after removing a fast lap to exceed track limits.
On the final lap of the first quarter, Hamilton was in the drop zone, but it seemed to progress comfortably until he improved to 7th place and removed his time to avoid contact with the tracks climbing the summit of Ladyon. The incident seemed very close, but Hamilton was eliminated and held responsible for what the exit for the second first quarter of the weekend was.
“It’s not particularly comfortable, but it was the same as last weekend,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “We made some changes. The car didn’t feel bad… It was tough to have to put a second set just to get through Q1.
“I have to look internally and apologize to the team because it’s not acceptable to go out in the first quarter. That’s (a) a very, very poor performance.”
Hamilton has made the result particularly difficult given how much work Ferrari has done recently, with a new rear suspension tested at Muguero last week and featured in Spa Franco Champ.
“I’m really sorry to the team, but we’re doing all the hard work, all the tests and filming days we’ve done, everything’s ready,” he said. “It’s incredibly painful (to be eliminated in the first quarter), and so far it turns out to be a pretty bad weekend.
“Everything can happen here. I mean, I don’t know. There’s no clue about tomorrow. It’ll be difficult from where I’m (16th). I’ll definitely have to forget.”
Hamilton also doesn’t expect any further advancements from Ferrari this season, with the latest upgrades marking the point of full attention to 2026 regulations.
“There’s a huge investment in what we have, and obviously everyone is working perfectly in the factory. We had upgrades, but I think it’s probably that for the rest of the year,” he said. “And at least I think we’re going back to the factory and focusing on next year’s cars.”