Hamilton's Belgian GP Woes: An Uncharacteristic Apology

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion with Mercedes, issued an apology to Ferrari following a disappointing performance in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying. Having failed to advance beyond the first qualifying phase, Hamilton will begin Sunday's race in 16th position, despite previous successes in Belgium.

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion with Mercedes, has extended an apology to his current team Ferrari after an unexpected underperformance at the Belgian Grand Prix qualifiers on Saturday. The British driver failed to advance beyond the initial qualifying phase and will start in 16th position in Sunday's race.

Despite having an impressive track record at Belgium, just one win shy of Michael Schumacher's, Hamilton encountered challenges during the sprint race, where he qualified 18th following a spin and finished 15th. Last year, he secured victory at Spa-Francorchamps after teammate George Russell's disqualification.

Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction over his performance and track limit penalties, noting, "another mistake... It's just unacceptable." Starting from the pitlane was deemed unlikely to better his prospects, but he remained hopeful. Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc enjoyed a surprising success, securing third in the final shootout.

(With inputs from agencies.)