Ferrari repaired Lewis Hamilton’s car after his crash in final Belgian Grand Prix practice. Hamilton then completed all three parts of qualifying and set the sixth-fastest time. His 1m44.895s lap was only two thousandths slower than team-mate Charles Leclerc. The official provisional grid later placed Hamilton fifth.
The repair followed a Turn 13 accident near the end of FP3. Hamilton lost the rear of the car, crossed the gravel and struck the barrier. Ferrari replaced damaged rear suspension parts, the floor and the rear wing before qualifying. The completed work changed the story from a repair race into a confirmed return.
Hamilton crashed after setting the fifth-fastest practice time
Hamilton had recorded a 1m46.789s lap before the incident. That time placed him fifth in the final FP3 classification. He lost control through the left-hand Turn 13 during his last run and stopped after contact with the barrier.
The crash ended his session and brought out yellow flags. It happened after most drivers had completed their fastest runs. Hamilton retained fifth place even though the damaged Ferrari was unable to return under its own power.
Kimi Antonelli led FP3 with a 1m45.990s lap. Lando Norris was 0.139s behind, and Max Verstappen finished another nine thousandths back. George Russell put the second Mercedes in fourth ahead of Hamilton.
The repair involved the rear suspension, floor and rear wing. These were direct consequences of the impact and the trip through the gravel. Ferrari completed the work during the short interval before qualifying.
The team also inspected the surrounding components before releasing the car. Hamilton left the garage in Q1 and immediately provided the first confirmation that the repair had been completed. He then progressed through Q1 and Q2 without another incident.
The repaired car remained in the same permitted specification. The work restored damaged parts rather than introducing a new performance package. Hamilton’s later qualifying time provided the clearest check under full-speed conditions.
Sixth place confirmed the car’s return
Hamilton reached Q3 and completed a 1m44.895s lap. Leclerc recorded 1m44.893s and took fifth in the qualifying classification. The Ferrari drivers were separated by 0.002s after the earlier repair.
Antonelli took pole in 1m44.361s. Verstappen qualified second, Norris third and Russell fourth. Hamilton finished 0.534s from pole and only 0.026s behind Russell.
Hamilton’s sixth place was a raw qualifying result. The FP3 classification preceded Norris’s later ten-place power-unit penalty. Once that drop was applied, both Ferrari drivers moved forward on the provisional starting grid.
Ferrari occupy the second and third rows
The official provisional grid lists Leclerc fourth and Hamilton fifth. Russell moves into third behind Antonelli and Verstappen. Oscar Piastri is sixth, directly behind Hamilton.
A few hours later, Antonelli converted that practice pace into pole position.
| FP3 | Fifth, then crashed at Turn 13 |
|---|---|
| Replaced parts | Rear suspension, floor and rear wing |
| Qualifying | Sixth, 1m44.895s |
| Provisional grid | Fifth |
That order gives Ferrari one car on the second row and one on the third. It is different from the qualifying classification, where Leclerc was fifth and Hamilton sixth. Norris’s penalty creates the change.
The provisional label remains in place until the final pre-race document is issued. No later repair issue was included in the Saturday grid notice. Hamilton’s current official position is therefore fifth for the start.
Saturday produced three separate confirmed records
FP3 records Hamilton in fifth place and notes the Turn 13 crash. Ferrari’s technical work records the replacement of the rear suspension, floor and rear wing. Qualifying records Hamilton sixth with a 1m44.895s lap.
The provisional grid then moves him to fifth after penalties elsewhere. None of those facts replaces another. Together they provide the complete sequence from the accident to the published starting order.
Hamilton will start the race in a repaired car that completed qualifying at full pace. Ferrari turned a damaged FP3 car into a third-row starter. That is the confirmed outcome available at the end of Saturday.
The repair and qualifying records form one sequence
Hamilton was fifth in final practice before the Turn 13 accident. The crash damaged the rear of the Ferrari. The session ended before the car returned to the track.
Ferrari replaced the rear suspension, floor and rear wing. The mechanics completed that work before qualifying. Hamilton then took part in all three qualifying sessions.
His fastest Q3 lap was 1m44.895s. That time placed him sixth in the qualifying classification. He was only 0.002s behind team-mate Leclerc and 0.026s behind Russell.
Norris’s ten-place penalty changed the provisional starting order. Leclerc moved to fourth and Hamilton to fifth. The Ferrari drivers therefore appear together on the current third row group.
Ferrari turned Hamilton’s FP3 crash into a completed Q3 run. His 1m44.895s lap placed him only 0.002s behind Leclerc. Norris’s penalty then moved the two Ferrari drivers to fourth and fifth on the provisional grid.
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