Lewis Hamilton described his Belgian Grand Prix as a “weekend to forget” despite an impressive drive from the pit lane to a seventh-place finish. The Ferrari driver had a difficult time at Spa, failing to progress past Q1 in both Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying sessions. Mistakes, including a spin and exceeding track limits, contributed to his poor grid positions. After taking a penalty for power unit and setup changes, Hamilton started the race from the pit lane, determined to salvage what he could.
As the race progressed under tricky weather conditions, Hamilton steadily climbed the order. He gained positions with daring moves at key overtaking spots like the final chicane and Les Combes. When the rain cleared, he was the first to gamble by switching from worn intermediates to medium slick tyres, which helped him gain further ground. Though he couldn’t pass Alex Albon’s Williams, he crossed the line in seventh and earned Driver of the Day honors for his impressive recovery drive.
Despite the strong comeback, Hamilton was frustrated with how the weekend unfolded. He criticized the decision to begin the race with a rolling start, believing the track was dry enough for a standard start. Nonetheless, he expressed pride in his recovery and thanked the team for a well-executed strategy. He acknowledged that while it wasn’t the result he wanted, there were still positives to take from the race performance.
Throughout the 2025 season, Hamilton has struggled to match teammate Charles Leclerc’s pace. At Spa, Leclerc secured a podium with a third-place finish, while Hamilton’s issues with braking continued to hinder his performance. He mentioned that braking setup improvements during the race helped his confidence, but early struggles—especially in FP1 and qualifying—had already compromised his weekend.
Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton noted that adjusting to the new brake systems had been a learning curve. He was optimistic about the steps made during the race and is aiming to carry those gains into the next round in Hungary. Despite the frustration, he remains committed to improving and delivering better results for Ferrari in the upcoming races.
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