Lewis Hamilton admitted his early elimination from qualifying at the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix was “unacceptable” as he issued an apology to his Ferrari team following a disappointing Q1 exit at Spa-Francorchamps.
The seven-time World Champion was knocked out in 16th place after having his final lap time deleted for a track limits violation at Turn 4.
Hamilton endured another frustrating session at Spa, compounding a difficult weekend that began with a Q1 exit in Sprint Qualifying on Friday.
After lining up 18th for the Sprint and gaining just two positions by the chequered flag, hopes were high that Saturday’s Grand Prix qualifying might offer some redemption. But once again, it was a case of promise unfulfilled for the Ferrari driver.
Hamilton’s first flying lap in Q1 was only good enough for sixth — just a few tenths shy of team-mate Charles Leclerc — but as others improved, he slipped dangerously down the order.
With one final attempt to escape elimination, Hamilton delivered a strong lap to break back into the top 10.
However, it was swiftly deleted by the stewards for exceeding track limits — his Ferrari running all four wheels wide at Turn 4 while heading up Eau Rouge.
The infringement dropped him to 16th, ending his qualifying session early and allowing Gabriel Bortoleto to sneak into Q2 in his place.
Speaking after the session, Hamilton admitted responsibility for the result.
“I’ve got to look internal and apologise to the team because it’s unacceptable to be out in Q1 — it’s a very, very poor performance,” he said.
He added that there was little improvement in feeling despite setup changes: “Not particularly, I was the same as I was last weekend.
“We made some changes, the car didn’t feel terrible… it was even tough for us — we had to put a second set on just to get through Q1, so not great. And then from my side, another mistake.”
Leclerc delivers as Hamilton faces another recovery mission
Looking ahead to Sunday, Hamilton acknowledged that there’s little he can do setup-wise under parc ferme regulations.
“I can’t do anything, so… just try and start from where I am and see where I can get to,” the 40-year-old explained.
When asked about potential upgrades to turn around Ferrrai’s season, Hamilton remained realistic about the likelihood of further updates.
“There’s a huge ton of investment in what we have and obviously everyone is working flat out back at the factory,” he said.
“We have had upgrades but I think that’s probably it for the rest of the year. And I think the focus now — back at the factory at least — is on next year’s car.”
Leclerc, meanwhile, secured a second-row start by qualifying third behind the dominant McLarens.
The Monegasque driver extracted the maximum from the SF-25, but the underlying reality for Ferrari remains unchanged — the team is still some way off the pace of its front-running rivals and not yet in the hunt for consistent race wins.
Hamilton, on the other hand, faces another uphill battle from the lower end of the grid as he looks to salvage points in what has been a tumultuous weekend so far.
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