Ferrari Clears SF-25 F1 Car of Blame After Lewis Hamilton's Belgian GP Spin
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team has ruled out a technical problem on Lewis Hamilton's SF-25 F1 car, which was suspected as the likely cause of his spin during the Belgian Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday.
Hamilton was on his flying lap in SQ1, but on the penultimate corner, his car's rear locked up momentarily, causing him to spin out. The incident ruined his lap time, leading him to start the sprint race in P18.
A technical fault was suspected for the unusual oversteer. Sky Sports F1's Anthony Davidson noted clunking in Hamilton's downshifts. He said after qualifying:
"I hear a lot of locking in the rear axle on the car. That clunking is backlash in the gearbox. I don't blame the driver for that moment. Something is going on there in the downshift phase of that Ferrari. I give Lewis the benefit of the doubt for that one."
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 25, 2025 in Spa, Belgium.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 25, 2025 in Spa, Belgium.Sky F1's Martin Brundle also noted the unusual nature of the incident. He said:
"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."
Sky F1's Naomi Schiff spoke to Ferrari team members ahead of the sprint race and revealed their verdict after Hamilton's SF-25 was thoroughly analyzed. She said:
"Speaking to some members of the team, they'd looked at the data, analysed everything they could, and they haven't been able to come up with any technical issues, so they've ruled that out. We speculated yesterday that maybe there was a bit of locking on the rear because of the gearbox, the down shifts, but they've ruled that out.
"But you've got to say that it is very uncharacteristic, especially in those dry conditions to have rear locking. I mean, it is possible that Lewis didn't adjust the brake bias, but yeah, unfortunate for him that he wasn't able to put those laps together."
Schiff also referenced Hamilton's admission that he had never experienced his rear stepping out under braking. The seven-time world champion revealed his frustration after the qualifying session. When asked by Craig Slater what happened, he said:
"I spun."
Asked if the rear locked, he said:
"[Yeah] First time, I think, in my career."
When asked for an assessment of his SF-25, Hamilton said:
"Not great, not great. Yeah, there's not really a lot to say."
Quizzed about the sprint race on Saturday, which follows qualifying for the main race, the Briton said:
"Tomorrow's a new day, so we'll try to...Obviously, I'm massively frustrated, so... A lot of work's gone in, and to be there is not really great. So, yeah, hopefully tomorrow will be better."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Padraig Harrington Deepens Career Legacy with Season's Second Major Title
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Padraig Harrington further cemented his place in golf history by winning the ISPS Handa Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club in England. Not only is it his third senior major title, and second of the season, but he also became only the fifth player with both the Open and Senior Open titles under his belt. Harrington joined an illustrious list that already included the legendary Bob Charles, Gary Player, Tom Watsoand his compatriot Darren Clarke. "I'm thrilled to have won but very satisfied that I've won a Senior Open with my two Opens," he said, according to the winner's press conference transcripts. "The fact that only five people have ever done it is quite special. I'm quite proud that I've managed to survive this long in the game. Longevity, at this stage, I think we look for a lot of things about our legacy in the game. The fact that I'm only the fifth person to have done that double, that's pretty special." Pádraig Harrington of Ireland poses with the trophy during the fourth round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open 2025 at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 27, 2025 in Sunningdale, England. Pádraig Harrington of Ireland poses with the trophy during the fourth round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open 2025 at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 27, 2025 in Sunningdale, elaborated a little more on the value he places on leaving a legacy during his time in professional golf. "As you get older, you realize a lot of things is legacy and what you've done and you want to win on a great golf course like Sunningdale," he said, according to the transcripts. "You want to do things that stand out, and having won a real Open, coming out, winning the Senior Open, it does give some -- it adds a validation. It's certainly satisfying to do it, to extent your career that way." Harrington won at Sunningdale with a score of 16-under, thanks to rounds of 67, 65, 65, and 67. This gave him a three-stroke lead over Thomas Bjorn and Justin Leonard. The fifth man to win @TheOpen and The Senior Open! Padraig Harrington is the champion at Sunningdale! 🏆 — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 27, 2025 Just a few weeks earlier, Harrington won the US Senior Open at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado. He had claimed his first major title in the 2022 edition of the same tournament at the Old Course in Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania. The Irishman was the 16th and so far last player to win the Open Championship in consecutive years, and one of only two to do so in the last 40 years. The other was Tiger Woods (2005, 2006). Harrington won the Claret Jug in 2007 at Carnoustie, defeating Sergio Garcia in a playoff. A year later, he repeated his triumph at Royal Birkdale, four strokes ahead of Ian Poulter. In 2008, he also won the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, his third and final major title in the open category. More Golf: Akshay Bhatia Keeps It Real On Ryder Cup Hopes While Co-Leading 3M Open
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Lottie Woad Sends Powerful Five-Word Message Ahead Of Women's Open
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lottie Woad has been living on cloud nine so far this July, with two wins and a top-five finish in as many professional events. However, such successes haven't caused her to lose focus, and she plans to continue building on her momentum. In fact, minutes after winning the Women's Scottish Open in her professional debut, Woad stated that she'll be "trying to win the Open" next week at Royal Porthcawl. The message is nothing but a powerful warning to all her colleagues heading to Wales to compete in the AIG Women's Open. After what she has shown in recent weeks, the Englishwoman will be one of the favorites to win the final major title of the season, even though she has just turned professional. "Even if I hadn't won this week, I would still be trying to win the Open next week," Woad told BBC after winning at Dundonald Links. "It's still a learning curve getting used to the attention." Lottie Woad of England smiles during the presentation ceremony as she celebrates victory of the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open following the final round of the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open 2025 at Dundonald Links... Lottie Woad of England smiles during the presentation ceremony as she celebrates victory of the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open following the final round of the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open 2025 at Dundonald Links Golf Course on July 27, 2025 in Troon, Scotland. MoreWoad won the Women's Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour in early July, still playing as an amateur, and then tied for third at the Amundi Evian Championship. Two weeks later, she won her first professional tournament at Dundonald Links. "It (winning) is a pretty good outcome, I guess!" she said, according to Sky Sports. "I definitely wasn't expecting to win my first event, but knew I was playing well. I was just hoping to contend and played really solid today. It was pretty nice in the end, being able to lay up on the par five." "This is my first time playing links golf since the AIG Women's Open last year. I wasn't exactly sure how it would go but it went fine!" The lack of links course play hasn't been a problem for Woad. Not only did she just win at Dundonald, but a year ago she finished tied for 10th in the Women's Open, played on the iconic Old Course at St. Andrews. Lottie Woad is victorious in her FIRST professional start at the Women's Scottish Open! 👏🏆 — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 27, 2025 That was the first of two top-10 finishes she has earned in seven starts at major championships, and the first of her three Low Amateur awards at events at that level. This year she added the US Women's Open (T31) and the Amundi Evian Championship (T3). To date, only one female player has won a major championship in her first year as a professional. Canadian Sandra Post began her pro career in 1968, winning the Women's PGA Championship that year. Catherine Lacoste deserves special mention. A year before Post's feat, she became the first (and so far only) female amateur to win a major championship, taking the US Women's Open title. More Golf: Akshay Bhatia Keeps It Real On Ryder Cup Hopes While Co-Leading 3M Open
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton make complaint amid Oscar Piastri's victory
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have both criticised the decision of F1 officials to delay the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, eventually won by Aussie championship leader Oscar Piastri. There was a delay of nearly an hour and a half due to rain and poor visibility at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Sunday, with a red flag ordered after an initial formation lap behind the safety car. The cars were brought back into the pit lane and the starting procedure halted, and the race didn't get underway until some 90 minutes later. After the long wait, the FIA eventually cleared the race to start once standing water had been removed from the track. Pole-sitter Lando Norris had said: "I can't see a lot behind the safety car, so I can't imagine what it's like for everyone else." But Verstappen and Hamilton both accused officials of being overcautious. A four-time world champion, Verstappen said Race Control should have kept the field out on the track to clear the standing water, rather than red-flag it. "It wasn't even raining," he said. "Of course, between Turns One and Five, there was quite a bit of water. "But if you do two or three laps behind the Safety Car, then it would have been a lot more clear - and the rest of the track was ready to go anyway. It's a bit of a shame. I knew that they would be a bit more cautious because of Silverstone, but this also didn't make sense. Then, it's better to say 'let's wait until it's completely dry' and we'll start on slicks because this is not really wet weather racing for me." Lewis Hamilton agrees with Max Verstappen Ferrari veteran Hamilton said organisers had overreacted after Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and Alpine's Isack Hadjar collided at Silverstone in poor visibility. "We started the race a little bit too late, I would say," Hamilton said. "I kept shouting that 'it's ready to go it's ready to go', but they kept going round and round. "I think they're probably overreacting from the last race, where we asked them not to re-start the race too early because the visibility was bad. This weekend, I think they just went too far the other way. We didn't need a rolling start." The race eventually began with a rolling start after four laps behind the Safety Car. Hamilton finished seventh with a stunning drive after starting 18th on the grid. He said the conditions made things interesting, and would have loved a traditional 'rain race'. Carlos Sainz believes right call was made But Williams driver Carlos Sainz supported the decision to delay the race as "a safe call", given the history of the high-speed circuit. "My respect to the Race Director because he told us after Silverstone – and the accidents at Silverstone – that he would play it safer here and that is what he did," said Sainz. "On a normal track, yes. I think maybe we could have started earlier by five or 10 minutes. But at Spa-Francorchamps, and with the history of the track, it is better to be safe than sorry. You got the whole race. You got to watch the full race. So, I don't think it was a bad call. A safe call, yes." There have been 53 fatalities - including two in the last six years - due to poor weather conditions at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. "That's why it's better to be safe than to have an accident and to be regretful," added Sainz. DRIVER STANDINGS (after 13/24 rounds)Piastri opens up a 16-point gap over Norris#F1 #BelgianGP — Formula 1 (@F1) July 27, 2025 RELATED: Oscar Piastri responds amid uproar over Aussie's act on podium F1 driver in danger of being axed after incident with Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri extends lead in F1 championship Piastri's victory put him 16 points clear of Norris in the championship. "Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say," conceded Norris. "Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge, and had the slipstream and got the run. "So nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point. I would love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today." with agencies
