Hamilton admits SF-26 'wasn't the same' despite rapid repairs after crash

The seven-time world champion crashed heavily into the barriers at Les Fagnes in the closing minutes of FP3 in an incident strikingly similar to Pierre Gasly's the previous day. It raised doubts over whether there would be enough time to repair the car ahead of qualifying, but Ferrari's mechanics ultimately managed to get it ready in time.

Speaking to GPblog and other media after qualifying, the seven-time world champion praised his mechanics for getting the car repaired in time, admitting the team had done everything possible despite suspecting the rear suspension was no longer behaving as it had before the accident.

Finally, Hamilton also weighed in on Red Bull's slipstream strategy involving Isack Hadjar, acknowledging that the perfectly executed tow played a key role in helping Verstappen secure a place on the front row: "It's always powerful at this track. I saw it. It was a perfect tow. He must have definitely gained a chunk of time with it. But it's always been powerful here and in Monza."

Leclerc explained after qualifying that Ferrari had finally identified and resolved a straight-line speed issue that had been costing him several tenths throughout the weekend. Speaking to media, including GPblog, the Monegasque said the problem had been difficult to understand at first, revealing he had consistently been losing around four to five tenths on the straights before the team found a solution ahead of qualifying. Despite the setback, he stressed the overall feeling with the car had not been bad since FP1.

Leclerc also expressed frustration over his final Q3 lap, revealing he had backed off after mistaking a yellow flag being waved at the pit entry for one applying to the final corner of the circuit.

Speaking to Sky F1, the Ferrari driver admitted he was disappointed by the misunderstanding, believing the marshal's positioning made the flag appear as though it referred to the track itself. While he felt it had likely cost him one position on the grid, he acknowledged it would not have been enough to challenge Kimi Antonelli's pole position.