When the green release light flashed inside the Ferrari pit box on lap 20, Lewis Hamilton began to move. At the same moment, a mechanic carrying a front wing adjustment tool stepped directly into the path of the car’s front right tyre.
Hamilton hit the brakes almost immediately. The mechanic fell beside the Ferrari but escaped without injury.
That split second became the defining moment of an already difficult Belgian Grand Prix for Hamilton. He reached the stop carrying minor car damage and a 5-second penalty from an opening-lap collision with George Russell. Ferrari then turned a routine tyre change into a dangerous near miss through a chain of communication failures.
The FIA fined Ferrari €30,000 for the unsafe release but placed no further sporting penalty on Hamilton. His 4th place stood, leaving him with 12 valuable points from a weekend that had threatened to unravel several times.
Hamilton Carried Saturday’s Problems Into Race Day
Hamilton’s difficult weekend began during the final minutes of Saturday practice. He lost the rear of the Ferrari at Turn 13, crossed the gravel and struck the barrier, causing significant damage along the right side of the car.
Ferrari’s mechanics completed the repairs before qualifying, but Hamilton said the balance no longer felt the same. He managed 6th on the grid and entered Sunday with a car that had already required extensive work.
Any hope of settling into the race disappeared within the opening kilometre.
Russell suffered a major loss of electrical boost while climbing from Eau Rouge toward Turn 5 at Les Combes. Several cars swept past the slowing Mercedes, placing Russell alongside Hamilton as the field compressed under braking.
Hamilton held the inside line but encountered understeer. His left front wheel struck the right side of Russell’s Mercedes, sending Russell into the gravel and ending his race.
The stewards ruled Hamilton wholly responsible. However, they accepted that he had tried to leave space and that the contact resulted from lost front grip rather than an aggressive attempt to force Russell off the track. Those mitigating factors reduced the usual 10-second punishment to 5 seconds.
A Late Call Broke Ferrari’s Pit Sequence
Hamilton pitted during a virtual safety car on lap 20 after debris appeared near Blanchimont. Charles Leclerc was already occupying Ferrari’s other pit box when Hamilton entered the lane. The double stack placed extra pressure on a crew preparing to serve a penalty, change 4 tyres and adjust the front wing.
Before arriving, Hamilton told his race engineer that he wanted more front wing. That request did not reach the super controller, the crew member responsible for operating Ferrari’s release light, before the stop began.
Hamilton stopped and served his 5-second penalty. Once the mandatory wait ended, the tyre crew received the order to begin work. An instruction for a 0.6 degree wing adjustment then arrived through Ferrari’s internal pit crew channel, but it came too late for everyone involved to coordinate the change.
As the mechanics completed the tyre change, Ferrari’s jack man lowered the car and the super controller activated the green release signal. At almost the same moment, the front wing mechanic stepped forward with his head lowered toward the adjustment tool. He had not seen the light.
Hamilton responded to the green signal and began moving, then slammed on the brakes when he spotted the mechanic beside the front right tyre. His immediate concern was the crew member’s safety, not the time lost during the stop.
Hamilton said he was “just grateful that he didn’t get hurt,” a reaction carrying added weight because Ferrari had experienced a far more serious pit lane accident in Bahrain in 2018. Kimi Raikkonen was released before his tyre change had been completed and struck mechanic Francesco Cigarini, who suffered fractures to his leg.
The memory of Bahrain made the Spa incident impossible to dismiss as a minor procedural error. Ferrari had created a genuine safety risk. The stewards now had to decide whether Hamilton shared any responsibility and whether the failed stop had given him a competitive advantage.
Why Hamilton Kept His Fourth Place
The stewards found Ferrari in breach of the regulation governing unsafe releases. The team had activated the green light while a mechanic remained in a dangerous position beside the car.
Hamilton, however, had followed the signal exactly as drivers are instructed to do. He could not see that the wing adjustment request had arrived late or that the mechanic had missed the release light.
Once he recognised the danger, Hamilton stopped immediately and waited for the path to clear. His reaction extended the pit stop rather than shortening it, so he gained no time from the incident.
The FIA therefore punished Ferrari instead of adding another sporting sanction to Hamilton’s race. Officials fined the team €30,000 and suspended €10,000 of that amount for 12 months. Ferrari will have to pay the suspended portion if it commits a similar offence during that period.
Ferrari also has 14 days to submit a formal report to the FIA. The team must explain how the adjustment request failed to reach the release controller in time and outline the procedures it will introduce to prevent another breakdown.
Hamilton Salvages Fourth From A Chaotic Race
Serving the penalty dropped Hamilton behind Oscar Piastri, but the Ferrari remained quick enough to recover.
Piastri had suffered floor damage during earlier contact with Leclerc. That damage reduced his pace and increased his tyre wear, allowing Hamilton to close the gap during the final part of the race.
Hamilton eventually cleared the McLaren and reclaimed 4th place. He crossed the line 1.743 seconds ahead of Piastri and 17.245 seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli.
Those 12 points moved Hamilton past Russell and into 2nd place in the drivers’ championship. Antonelli still left Spa with a commanding 45-point lead, but Hamilton had rescued an important result from a weekend shaped by a practice crash, an opening lap penalty and a dangerous pit stop.
The consequences will follow Ferrari back to Maranello. Hamilton protected the result through pace and quick reactions. Ferrari must now repair the communication chain that placed one of its own mechanics in danger.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton Seeks Redemption in Hungary as Ferrari Takes the Fight to Mercedes
FAQs
Why did Lewis Hamilton keep 4th place at Spa?
The stewards cleared Hamilton of fault. He followed Ferrari’s green light, stopped immediately and gained no advantage from the unsafe release.
Was the Ferrari mechanic injured during Hamilton’s pit stop?
No. The mechanic fell beside the front right tyre but escaped without injury.
How much did the FIA fine Ferrari?
The FIA fined Ferrari €30,000. It suspended €10,000 for 12 months, provided the team avoids a similar offence.
What caused Ferrari’s unsafe release at Spa?
A late wing adjustment call disrupted the stop. The request missed the release controller, and the mechanic failed to notice the green light.
Where was Hamilton in the championship after the Belgian Grand Prix?
Hamilton moved into 2nd place with 159 points. He remained 45 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
