Reports indicate growing tension within Ferrari after Lewis Hamilton appeared to criticize the team’s new components, referencing Charles Leclerc’s crash at the Canadian Grand Prix. This controversy emerged during a difficult Belgian GP weekend for the seven-time world champion, who has struggled for form since Friday’s sessions at Spa-Francorchamps.
Hamilton, despite a promising FP1, spun during his final attempt in SQ1, eliminating any chance of progress in sprint qualifying. His performance in the sprint race offered no redemption as he finished a disappointing P15 without scoring points. Following the event, Hamilton linked his struggles to Ferrari’s recently introduced rear suspension, remarking that his first experience with the upgrade mirrored Leclerc’s Montreal incident.
Italian publication Corriere reported that Ferrari’s leadership was displeased with Hamilton’s remarks, given the substantial effort invested in implementing the update. Internal frustration has reportedly intensified due to repeated errors from Hamilton, which the team believes stem from lapses in focus. Team principal Fred Vasseur addressed the situation diplomatically, suggesting Hamilton “needs to remain calm” amid what he described as a confidence crisis.
Hamilton’s woes continued into Saturday qualifying, where his lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits at Raidillon, condemning him to P16 for Sunday’s main race. Speaking candidly post-session, the Briton accepted full responsibility, describing his performance as “unacceptable” and admitting that internal reflection was necessary to recover from consecutive Q1 eliminations.
Despite his recent setbacks, Hamilton remains determined to salvage his reputation at Spa, where he boasts an impressive history of top-five finishes in completed races. However, given Ferrari’s current inconsistencies and Hamilton’s evident frustration, the challenge to maintain that record has become significantly more daunting heading into race day.
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