Hamilton Crashes Out as Antonelli Tops Final Belgian Grand Prix Practice Session
In a dramatic turn of events during the final practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Kimi Antonelli, the young 19-year-old driver, showcased an impressive performance by clocking the fastest lap time of 01:45.990 seconds in his Mercedes. This achievement not only reflected his skills but also positioned him prominently ahead of reigning world champion Lando Norris of McLaren, who was only 0.139 seconds behind.
The session, however, took a tumultuous turn when Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, suffered a significant crash. As the practice session drew to a close, Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari and veered off the track into the gravel at Fagnes, colliding forcefully with the tyre wall. The impact was severe enough to cause major damage to the rear wing and suspension of the car, littering the track with debris as the vehicle bounced off the ground.
Following the accident, Hamilton expressed his dismay to his race engineer over the team radio, stating, “I’ve destroyed the car, mate. I’m sorry.” Despite the damage, his race engineer, Carlo Santi, replied reassuringly, “No problem,” as the team quickly shifted their focus to initiating repairs under immense pressure.
Despite his crash, Hamilton managed to secure the fifth fastest time of the session, indicating that he had been competitive up to that point. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing took the third spot on the timesheets, closely followed by his teammate George Russell, who ranked fourth. The results highlighted a close battle among the top drivers, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing in sixth place, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Audi’s duo Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. Isack Hadjar from Red Bull rounded out the top ten.
This final practice session set the stage for an exhilarating race weekend at the iconic Belgian circuit, where the combinations of youth and experience will undoubtedly lead to fierce competition on the track.
