Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari was left in pieces after a dramatic late shunt in final practice at the Belgian Grand Prix, leaving his qualifying participation in serious doubt.
The seven-time champion lost control on the exit of the Fagnes left-right complex, spinning wide onto the gravel before his right-rear wheel smashed violently into the barrier – a near-carbon copy of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s crash.
Ferrari mechanics now face a frantic race against time to repair the car before qualifying, though the team insist they will complete the necessary work.
While Hamilton’s session ended in disaster, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli delivered another statement performance, topping the timesheets with a lap of 1:45.990 – 0.139 seconds clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The Italian’s time, set much earlier in the session, came despite a mistake on his final flying lap. “I think Kimi Antonelli will be sat there quite happy,” observed Bird. “He knows there are probably two, three, even four tenths in his pocket with that mistake.”
Max Verstappen was third fastest, just 0.148s back, followed by Antonelli’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who was 0.367s off the pace.
Hamilton had been fifth fastest before his crash, ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris is among several drivers facing 10-place grid penalties this weekend for exceeding engine component limits, potentially opening the door for Antonelli to claim a crucial pole position.
There was also late drama when Verstappen encountered double yellow flags and had to brake sharply, with Williams’ Carlos Sainz nearly running into the back of him.
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