Hamilton took 45G blow in crash with Alonso: "It was a large, large impact"

Mercedes has announced that Lewis Hamilton's car suffered a vertical impact of 45G after his collision with Fernando Alonso on the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix. For this reason, according to the regulations, the Briton had to visit the medical centre, but he refused to do so.

Hamilton's W13 was launched into the air when it passed over Alonso's wheel and came down hard on the tarmac. Initially Hamilton drove on, but was forced to stop his Mercedes due to a technical fault caused by the impact.

Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles states in a video on YouTube that Hamilton took a big hit. "It was a large, large impact," says the Briton. The SDR recorder in the car would have measured 45G. "That's very big on a vertical load," he explains.

Asked if Hamilton is OK, Vowles replied that the mental blow was probably harder on the driver. "I think primarily for him he is frustrated, frustrated that he had a very fast race car, and a podium was possible," he concludes. Meanwhile, Mercedes has not yet revealed the extent of the damage, but the team fears that its brand new engine will not come away unscathed.