Lewis Hamilton’s Spa qualifying struggles have come under scrutiny following his elimination from both Sprint and standard qualifying sessions at the Belgian Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion faced setbacks on Saturday when a spin in Sprint qualifying left him down in 18th place, and a track limits violation during the main qualifying session later erased his fastest lap, relegating him to 16th on the starting grid.

The challenging weekend saw Hamilton visibly dispirited, as he offered an apology to the Ferrari team for his mistakes, acknowledging the intensity of the situation. “It is what it is,” he said, expressing regret for failing to progress beyond the first qualifying round despite extensive preparation and filming commitments leading into the race.

His somber mood was apparent when he remarked,

“It’s just… it’s unacceptable. Really sorry.”

Race Engineer’s Candid Radio Message Draws Criticism

Following Hamilton’s Q1 exit, frustration deepened due to the terse exchange between the driver and his race engineer Riccardo Adami during the cooldown lap. Hamilton asked, “Is everything okay?” to which Adami replied briefly,

“Uh… Track limits at Turn 4.”

When Hamilton inquired if he was out, Adami stated flatly,

“Yeah. Lap time is deleted. P16.”

This clipped communication style was noted by Sky Sports’ pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz, who suggested that Adami’s tone lacked the empathy Hamilton might have expected, especially compared to his longtime Mercedes engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington.

In his post-qualifying segment, Kravitz said,

“Did you think it was a bit terse on the radio between him and Riccardo Adami, saying, ‘Is there something wrong?’, and Riccardo Adami rather said flatly, ‘Yes, track limits, we are out’.”

He added,

“I don’t know whether I expected a bit more empathy.”

Kravitz further reflected on the difference in relationships, stating,

“I expected the engineer to say, ‘Ah, I’m sorry Lewis, bad luck mate, you’re out, it was track limits, hard done by pal’. The kind of thing that Bono would have said to him.”

He concluded,

“Riccardo Adami isn’t Bono, I guess they are a different relationship there.”

Kravitz encouraged listeners to judge the exchange themselves: “Give it a listen yourself.”

Ferrari Principal Acknowledges Hamilton’s Confidence Struggles

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur recognized the difficult weekend Hamilton was enduring, noting that the driver struggled to find rhythm and confidence at a circuit that demands consistent lap-by-lap improvement.

“It’s true that it’s been a tough weekend for him so far and, at this track, you need to build up confidence lap after lap and with the problems yesterday and today that was made difficult for him,”

Vasseur said.

Vasseur also pointed out how competitive the field was, indicating that tiny margins separate drivers.

“His pace was good, he was just one place behind Charles but the track limits put him out and it is what it is,”

he remarked.

Championship Context and What Lies Ahead

Hamilton heads to the Belgian Grand Prix grid sitting sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, trailing leader Charles Leclerc by 21 points. His struggles at Spa further complicate his pursuit of closing the gap in a tightly contested season.

The weekend’s setbacks underline the intense pressure at Formula 1’s top level and raise questions about team dynamics, particularly the communication style between Hamilton and Adami, as fans and analysts continue to watch closely how the seven-time champion responds in upcoming races.

Our Reader’s Queries

Q. Is Lewis Hamilton vegan?

A. Lewis Hamilton, an F1 race car driver, openly shares his enthusiasm for veganism. He is also involved in investing in plant-based businesses.