Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Belgian Grand Prix looked to be unravelling almost from the moment the lights went out.
Contact with George Russell on the opening lap earned the Ferrari driver a five-second penalty. A disagreement over strategy followed. Then Hamilton made contact with one of Ferrari’s mechanics during a pit stop after an apparent error in the team’s release procedure. Although he recovered to finish fourth on the road, Hamilton remained under investigation after the race for an alleged unsafe release.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton explained that, as with every Formula 1 driver, his attention during a pit stop is fixed on the team’s release signal rather than the mechanics working around the car.
“The green light went and so I went,” Hamilton said.
“You’re looking over here [to the left at the lights], you’re not looking over there, so that’s more probably on the team, ultimately.”
After serving his five-second time penalty, Ferrari fitted a fresh set of tyres and prepared to adjust the angle of Hamilton’s front wing before sending him back onto the circuit. As one mechanic reached over the nose of the SF-26 to make the planned adjustment, the team’s pit release system displayed the green light, instructing Hamilton that he had been cleared to leave the pit box.
While the illuminated light may appear automatic to viewers, the final release is not determined solely by sensors. Modern Formula 1 pit stops require a member of the pit crew to authorise the release once the team believes the stop has been completed and it is safe for the driver to rejoin the race. The green light is therefore more than an indicator; it is the team’s instruction for the driver to leave the pit box.
Drivers are trained to react immediately to that signal. Looking around the car to check whether every mechanic has stepped clear would not only cost valuable time but could also create additional danger if another car was approaching in the fast lane. Instead, drivers trust the team’s release procedure, with responsibility for determining when it is safe to leave resting with the pit crew rather than the driver.
Acting on Ferrari’s release signal, Hamilton began to pull away before immediately realising a mechanic was still positioned over the front of the car. He reacted instinctively by stopping almost at once, limiting the impact and helping prevent what could have become a far more serious accident.
The incident immediately brought back memories of the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, when Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini suffered a broken leg after being struck by Kimi Räikkönen’s car during a pit stop.
“But when it happened, then I noticed him and I stopped and it just went through my mind in that moment was back when Kimi hit and broke a leg,” Hamilton said.
“My heart really sank for a second.
“I’m really grateful he’s ok.”
Hamilton’s concern for the mechanic was also evident over team radio moments after the incident.
“Is the mechanic okay?” he asked, before Ferrari confirmed the crew member had escaped injury.
The confusion also meant Ferrari was unable to complete the planned front wing adjustment before Hamilton rejoined the race.
“Did you put front wing in or not?” Hamilton later asked over team radio.
“We didn’t manage,” his race engineer replied.
“Yeah, I can’t turn the car,” Hamilton responded, revealing he had completed the remainder of the race without the setup change Ferrari had intended.
Following the race, the FIA stewards investigated the incident as a suspected unsafe release. After reviewing the evidence, Hamilton retained his fourth-place finish, with the stewards determining that no sporting penalty should be applied to the driver.
Instead, Ferrari was handed a €30,000 fine, €10,000 of which was suspended for 12 months, after the team was found responsible for the unsafe release.
For Hamilton, it marked the second consecutive race in which he emerged from a post-race investigation without any change to his finishing position. More importantly, the decision confirmed that responsibility for the incident lay with Ferrari’s pit release procedure rather than the Briton’s reaction to the team’s instruction to leave the pit box.
The decision also ensured Hamilton kept the points he earned for fourth place, lifting the Ferrari driver to second in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of George Russell. While Ferrari paid the price for the pit stop error, Hamilton’s eventful afternoon ultimately ended with both his result and his championship momentum intact.
Official result: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2026/races/1290/belgium/race-result
