Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the pace in final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, but the morning ended abruptly when Lewis Hamilton buried his Ferrari in the tire barrier. Antonelli laid down a benchmark time of 1m45.990s shortly before the red flags halted the track.
Hamilton lost control exiting the Fagnes chicane at Turn 13. The Ferrari snapped loose on a flying lap, sending him skidding backward through the gravel trap before a heavy rear-end impact. The driver immediately confirmed over the team radio that he walked away unhurt.
The car took the brunt of the hit. The crash shattered the right-rear suspension and snapped the rear wing assembly in half. The Ferrari garage now faces a punishing sprint to rebuild the chassis, with just over two hours before the green light for qualifying.
Fagnes is claiming multiple victims this weekend. Hamilton’s accident was a near carbon-copy of Friday’s second practice session, where Alpine’s Pierre Gasly spun out into the exact same barrier.
Behind the wreckage, McLaren’s Lando Norris finished the session second fastest, trailing by a razor-thin 0.139 seconds. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed the third spot. Norris desperately needs a strong qualifying performance today. He carries a 10-place grid penalty into Sunday’s race for exceeding his seasonal engine parts allocation. But right now, Antonelli’s benchmark lap keeps the championship leader firmly in control of the weekend.