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Hamilton: 'Ferrari didn't feel the same' after Spa crash
Following a heavy crash in third practice at Spa-Francorchamps, Lewis Hamilton struggled with the feel of his Ferrari in qualifying, despite trailing teammate Leclerc by a razor-thin margin.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-07-19T07:08:06.000Z - 2 min read
Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix saw two Ferraris line up in fifth and sixth on the grid. On paper, it was a result that might be considered a logical outcome for the Maranello squad at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. For Lewis Hamilton, however, there was more to his sixth-place finish.
The Briton, who was barely two-thousandths of a second slower than teammate Charles Leclerc, looked back on an eventful lead-up to qualifying. His weekend was disrupted by a crash in Free Practice 3, coming out of the Fagnes chicane.
Although the damage was swiftly repaired in time for the start of qualifying, the impact of the incident lingered. Afterwards, Hamilton shared his personal experience with the car, which he felt had undergone a distinct change.
According to the seven-time world champion, the feel of his Ferrari after the crash was "not the same." The comment offers insight into the subtle yet crucial connection between driver and machine, even following seemingly successful repairs.
What outsiders might view as an impressive damage-limitation job—finishing so close to Leclerc after such a heavy hit—was felt differently by Hamilton himself. He did not see it merely as a successful recovery from the situation.
It demonstrates that elite drivers like Hamilton possess an exceptionally refined feel for the nuances of their car. Even the smallest disturbance in balance or responsiveness can make all the difference in how a driver feels behind the wheel and extracts the ultimate pace.
Despite the Briton's subjective impression, the raw numbers initially showed no major issue. The slim margin to teammate Leclerc, who secured fifth, suggests Hamilton was still pushing his machinery to the limit.
Still, it remains an intriguing question: how differently might qualifying have unfolded had Hamilton entered the session without that crash? His words offer a glimpse into the mental and physical hurdles accompanying such setbacks in Formula 1.