
Hamilton to start Belgian GP from pit lane after nightmare Spa weekend
The seven-time Formula One world champion has endured a challenging weekend at Spa, placing 18th in Friday's sprint qualifying and finishing 15th in the 100km sprint race on Saturday.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari in January, has yet to secure a podium finish with the Italian team. He apologised to Ferrari after Saturday's race, calling his performance 'unacceptable'.
Despite his struggles, the Briton has a strong track record at Spa, having won five times and only missed the podium twice in races he has completed at the circuit.
Ferrari confirmed the engine change on Saturday. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli will also start from the pit lane due to similar power unit changes.
Rainy weather is expected to affect Sunday's race. Earlier, the Formula Two feature race began behind the safety car, while the Formula Three race was cancelled due to poor track conditions. — Reuters
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
39 minutes ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Teenager Antonelli paying price for 'wrong steps' by Mercedes
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 25, 2025 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli before sprint qualifying REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) -Mercedes have made mistakes in developing their Formula One car and teenage Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli's struggles are a consequence of that, according to technical director James Allison. Antonelli, 18, finished third in Canada in June for his first F1 podium but has since failed to score. He has had two retirements since Montreal as well as 17th in a sprint race in Belgium last Saturday and then 16th in Sunday's main grand prix. The Italian, who took a sprint pole in Miami and is the sport's youngest ever race leader, has retired four times in the last seven rounds and admitted in Belgium he was lacking confidence in the car and not driving as he would like. "I think he's, like the rest of us, massively fed up with a string of results that are well below what we were collectively achieving earlier in the year," Allison said in a Belgian race debrief on Tuesday. "I hope he takes some solace from the fact that we tell him, and it's demonstrably a fact, that we have taken the wrong steps with the car, making our team less competitive, and that he is paying the price for that, as is George (Russell). "If the car isn't where it needs to be, then it will be a struggle getting through the qualifying stages in your rookie season in F1." Allison said it was "utterly clear" to everyone that the car needed to be better and Antonelli's fortunes would improve when it was. "Hopefully he's listening to us as we say those reassuring words because we absolutely know that he is putting in the effort on his side of that bargain," he added. Mercedes are third overall, 28 points behind second-placed Ferrari, with one win by Russell in Canada. Russell has been on the podium five times and is fourth overall with 157 points to Antonelli's 63. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, whose seat Antonelli took when the Briton moved to Ferrari, showed his support for the Italian after Saturday qualifying at Spa. "He was telling me to keep my head up, and that it's normal to have bad weekends, and to just keep believing," the Italian told reporters. Hamilton told Sky Sports television he could not imagine what the rookie was going through. "He's been doing fantastic. But to be thrown in at the deep end at 18... he hadn't even had his driving licence when he first started racing," he said. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)


New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Red Bull adviser confirms Max Verstappen staying for 2026
Red Bull Racing will have Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen for at least another season. Team adviser Helmut Marko said Monday that the four-time defending F1 champion would return to the team in 2026 despite reported interest from Mercedes. A widely reported exit clause in Verstappen's Red Bull contract would have allowed him to leave the team at year's end if he were fourth or lower in the championship standings as of the Hungarian Grand Prix, which takes place this Sunday. Following the Belgian Grand Prix last Sunday, Verstappen sits in third place in the F1 standings and far enough ahead of fourth-place George Russell (28 points) that he cannot be caught in Hungary. The understanding of Verstappen's situation was confirmed when Marko spoke to German outlet "Yes, I can confirm that Max Verstappen will drive for Red Bull in 2026," Marko said. Mercedes' cars are currently occupied by Russell and potential rising star Kimi Antonelli, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has not denied looking into pursuing Verstappen, the winningest F1 driver since his first championship in 2021. Earlier this month, Red Bull abruptly dismissed team principal Christian Horner and replaced him with Laurent Mekies. Verstappen's agent told a Dutch outlet at the time that Verstappen remained committed to the team despite the change.


The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
Max Verstappen confirmed for Red Bull in 2026
RED BULL RACING will have Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen for at least another season. Team adviser Helmut Marko said Monday that the four-time defending F1 champion would return to the team in 2026 despite reported interest from Mercedes. A widely reported exit clause in Verstappen's Red Bull contract would have allowed him to leave the team at year's end if he were fourth or lower in the championship standings as of the Hungarian Grand Prix, which takes place this Sunday. Following the Belgian Grand Prix last Sunday, Verstappen sits in third place in the F1 standings and far enough ahead of fourth-place George Russell (28 points) that he cannot be caught in Hungary. The understanding of Verstappen's situation was confirmed when Marko spoke to German outlet 'Yes, I can confirm that Max Verstappen will drive for Red Bull in 2026,' Marko said. Mercedes' cars are currently occupied by Russell and potential rising star Kimi Antonelli, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has not denied looking into pursuing Verstappen, the winningest F1 driver since his first championship in 2021. Earlier this month, Red Bull abruptly dismissed team principal Christian Horner and replaced him with Laurent Mekies. Verstappen's agent told a Dutch outlet at the time that Verstappen remained committed to the team despite the change. - Reuters