Lewis Hamilton admitted that his performance during the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session was far below expectations, calling it “unacceptable.” The Ferrari driver, who will start Sunday’s race from 16th on the grid, expressed disappointment after his best lap time in Q1 was deleted due to exceeding track limits. This frustrating result follows an equally disappointing Sprint Qualifying session, where Hamilton only managed the 18th fastest time, exiting in SQ1.
The seven-time world champion explained that his struggles began as early as Friday’s session when a rear tyre lock-up caused him to spin—a rare mistake he labeled as a “career first.” He attributed part of the issue to adapting to a new component on his Ferrari, which affected the car’s balance. Despite making changes to the setup, Hamilton admitted that the car still felt challenging to drive and required extra effort, including using a second set of soft tyres just to progress in qualifying.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton confessed that his own errors played a major role in the poor results. “I’ve really got to look internally,” he said, acknowledging that his performance was not up to standard. He apologized to his Ferrari team, emphasizing that being eliminated in Q1 for both sessions was simply unacceptable for a driver of his experience. Hamilton described the situation as “incredibly painful” and admitted the weekend had been “pretty bad” so far.
Adding to Hamilton’s frustration is the strong performance of his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, who secured third place for the Grand Prix and fourth for the Sprint. While rain on race day could introduce opportunities for strategic gambles, Hamilton seemed doubtful about making significant progress from his starting position. “Anything can happen here, but I honestly don’t know what to expect,” he remarked, suggesting that this might be a weekend best forgotten.
Looking ahead, Hamilton acknowledged that while Ferrari continues to push hard at the factory, their development focus has largely shifted to next year’s car. He hinted that major upgrades for the current season are unlikely, admitting that 2025 has been a difficult campaign overall. Despite the challenges, Hamilton vowed to keep working with the team to maximize the car’s potential for the remainder of the season.
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