Lewis Hamilton described his early elimination in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying as “incredibly painful” after failing to progress past Q1. Despite setting a lap nearly identical to his teammate Charles Leclerc’s, his time was deleted due to exceeding track limits at the Raidillon corner. The Briton acknowledged his own mistakes, including going wide and spinning during Saturday’s sprint qualifying. Disappointed, he expressed remorse towards his team and called his performance unacceptable.
Hamilton plans to meet with stewards to better understand the track limits breach, noting that many drivers take similar lines through Raidillon. His situation echoed McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who also exceeded limits but recovered to continue qualifying. Ferrari brought a new rear suspension upgrade aimed at improving aerodynamics and handling, but Hamilton seemed unimpressed. Despite some tweaks, he admitted the car felt largely the same and apologized for not capitalizing on the team’s hard work.
Looking ahead, Hamilton acknowledged that the focus may now shift to 2026’s car development, given the struggles of the current season. He emphasized that everyone is working intensely back at the factory, but admitted there are likely no more major upgrades for the rest of the year. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc sounded more optimistic, noting the upgrade brought minor improvements. He even outqualified Max Verstappen, though just barely, and felt Ferrari was progressing — albeit slowly compared to McLaren.
Rain is forecasted for the race, and under current F1 rules, teams cannot modify setups post-qualifying. Hamilton said there’s little he can change now and will simply try to make the most of the situation. McLaren’s Lando Norris, starting from pole, also expects wet conditions to complicate the race. He predicted a chaotic event with potentially inconsistent weather across the track, likening it to unpredictable races like Australia or Silverstone. Still, he expressed confidence in McLaren’s pace, particularly in clean air.
Verstappen, starting behind the front row, said wet weather might hinder his chances as visibility becomes poor and overtaking tricky. While Red Bull made setup changes in anticipation of rain, Verstappen wasn’t overly optimistic, noting McLaren’s strength in such conditions. Leclerc also shared concerns about Ferrari’s wet-weather performance, referencing struggles at Silverstone. Though cautious, he remained hopeful they could learn from previous races and respond well during the Grand Prix itself.
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