Hamilton crashes Ferrari in final Belgian GP practice, leaving team with two-hour repair race before qualifying

Crash in final practice

Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari in the dying seconds of the third free practice session at Spa-Francorchamps. The seven-time world champion lost control on the exit of the Fagnes chicane, ran wide through a gravel trap and clipped the barrier with the rear-right corner. The impact smashed the suspension, tore off the rear wing and left the wheel hanging by its safety cables. The car bounced in the air before coming to rest on the track. Hamilton was unharmed and climbed out to inspect the damage as marshals and photographers, who had been stationed behind the barrier, moved clear just in time.

I've destroyed the car, mate, sorry.

His race engineer Carlo Santi replied over the radio: "No problem." Debris littered the track, prompting double yellow flags. Max Verstappen slowed abruptly and Williams' Carlos Sainz narrowly avoided running into the back of the Red Bull. Hamilton watched the remainder of the session from behind a wall as the rest of the field returned to the pits.

Race against the clock

Ferrari mechanics now have a little more than two hours to rebuild the car before qualifying begins at 16:00 local time (15:00 BST). The damage is extensive, affecting the rear suspension, gearbox casing and aerodynamic bodywork. The rear-right wheel was left pointing in the wrong direction, and the rear wing was completely destroyed. The situation mirrors Pierre Gasly's crash in Friday's second practice, but the Alpine driver had overnight to complete repairs. For Hamilton, any delay risks missing the session and starting from the back of the grid, or worse.

Practice pace

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time of the session, a 1:45.990, to lead a Mercedes one-two with George Russell fourth. The 19-year-old Italian, who leads the drivers' championship, was 0.139 seconds quicker than McLaren's Lando Norris. Norris will serve a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his allocation of engine components. Max Verstappen took third, 0.148 seconds off Antonelli's benchmark, while Russell was almost four tenths adrift. Hamilton had been fifth, 0.392 seconds slower, before his off.

Championship picture

Antonelli holds a 25-point lead over Russell after nine rounds, with Hamilton a further seven points back in third. The Belgian Grand Prix, round 10 of the season, could reshape the title fight if Hamilton fails to set a competitive qualifying time. Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari, ahead of Oscar Piastri, Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar.

Grid penalties

Beyond Norris's 10-place drop, the stewards have also issued penalties to Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The exact nature of those sanctions was not specified in the immediate aftermath of practice.