Hamilton suffers unprecedented spinning knockout in Belgian GP sprint qualifying
But the gloomy seven-time world champion was cleared of blame by veteran commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, who said the rear axle of Hamilton's Ferrari 'broke up under braking'.
Brundle said it was 'highly unusual', adding: 'I don't think there's anyone more surprised at that than Lewis Hamilton.
'It looks like a technical issue. Nobody will be more surprised than Lewis. It's almost like the engine sort of stalled out and every time he pulled another shift, it's just locked the rear axle.'
Hamilton ended up qualifying 18th on the 20-car grid just 24 hours after his highly-charged comments about winning a championship at Ferrari and not suffering the plight of fellow former multiple champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
He struggled throughout the day at the sprawling and majestic Spa-Francorchamps circuit -- one of his favourites -- and ran wide at Stavelot early in SQ1 before his spin at the chicane.
Hamilton said he had never experienced that kind of spin before.
Facing reporters later, he was asked what had gone wrong and responded: 'I spun.'
He added that it was 'the first time, I think, in my career' that he had spun in that way.
'There's not really a lot to say,' he added. 'Obviously, I'm massively frustrated.
'A lot of work has gone in and to be there is not really great. So hopefully tomorrow will be better.'- AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Piastri beats Norris in rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) -McLaren's Oscar Piastri beat teammate and title rival Lando Norris in a rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix to stretch his Formula One lead to 16 points on Sunday. Charles Leclerc was a distant third for Ferrari as dominant champions McLaren celebrated their sixth one-two finish in 13 races and the third in a row. The race at Spa-Francorchamps was red-flagged after an initial formation lap and delayed by an hour and 20 minutes due to the weather, with standing water and heavy spray affecting visibility. Once the racing got going Piastri made quick work of overtaking pole-sitter Norris on a dominant afternoon for the Australian, who finished 3.415 seconds clear. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ros Russell)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Badminton - Shi, Wang triumph in all-Chinese China Open finals as host dominates home tournament with four titles
China's Shi Yuqi celebrates after defeating compatriot Wang Zhengxing in the men's singles final at the China Open badminton tournament in Changzhou, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on July 27, 2025. -- Photo by AFP BEIJING (Reuters): Shi Yuqi and Wang Zhiyi lifted the men's and women's titles at the China Open on Sunday (July 27), prevailing in the all-Chinese finals to cap a golden week in Changzhou. It was another strong showing for world number three Shi following his Japan Open title last week. The 29-year-old came back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21 21-14 21-15 in little more than an hour. Wang had a narrow 7-5 lead early in the second game, but Shi took over from there, dominating the rallies and never trailing again. It was Shi's third Super 1000 title of the year after winning the Malaysia Open and the All England Open. In the women's final, defending champion Wang Zhiyi secured a dominant 21-8 21-13 win over Han Yue, who had advanced after South Korea's reigning Olympic champion An Se-young retired injured in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old world number two ended a frustrating run of three straight Super 1000 final defeats this year, all to world number one An. It was Wang's second title of the year, adding to her Malaysia Masters win, where she also beat Han in the final. Wang surged to a 13-4 lead in the opener and though Han tried to claw back in the second game, narrowing the gap to 17-13, Wang's sharp movement and relentless aggression helped her close out the match in just over half an hour. China's supremacy on home soil could not be questioned as foreign players fell at the semi-final stage in all formats except for the men's doubles, which was won by Indonesians Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri. The pair beat Malaysian second seeded duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi-Yik 21-15 21-14 and performed the viral "aura farming" Indonesian boat race dance in front of the Chinese crowd, much to their delight. It was the first time in a decade that an unseeded men's pair has won the China Open. In women's doubles, top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning overcame Zhang Shuxian and Jia Yifan 24-22 17-21 21-14. Top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeated second-seeded Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21 21-17 to clinch the mixed doubles title. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge) - Reuters
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Belgian Grand Prix delayed by rain
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Sunday's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix was delayed by rain and poor visibility at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit after a formation lap behind the safety car. The cars were brought into the pit lane and the starting procedure halted. "I can't see a lot behind the safety car so I can't imagine what it's like for everyone else," McLaren's pole-sitter Lando Norris, who is nine points behind championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri, said over the team radio. The Briton said later the standing water was not too bad but visibility was the problem. After an hour of waiting, with drivers debating how to proceed, the FIA said they hoped to start as soon as standing water was cleared. The FIA added that the clock had not formally started on the race, meaning a three hour rule did not apply. The rain-affected 2021 Belgian Grand Prix remains the shortest race in Formula One history with only three laps completed behind the safety car and half points awarded. "That's a bit silly. We should just run," said Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen over the radio when the red flags were shown. "They're way too cautious. "And now the rain is coming, the heavy rain." Nico Rosberg, the retired 2016 world champion, told Sky Sports television that there was little drivers could do other than wait. "The conditions out there are horrendous and the race start will be extremely difficult," said the German. "You can't see anything. You have long straights but must stay flat, but you're blind, looking left or right at the wall to find a brake marker board."
