Hamilton relieved after Ferrari pit-stop mechanic unhurt in Spa incident

Ferrari have been fined €30,000 after Lewis Hamilton's car struck a mechanic during a pit stop at the Belgian Grand Prix, an incident the driver said left him badly shaken even though nobody was hurt.

Hamilton's right-front tyre hit the crew member after he was given the green light to leave the team's pit box at Spa-Francorchamps. The mechanic, who had moved in front of the wheel to make a front-wing adjustment, was briefly knocked to his knees. Hamilton stopped his car immediately, waited while the mechanic was helped back to his feet, and then rejoined the race.

The stop had already been an unusual one: Hamilton served a five-second penalty before any work on the car began, adding to the confusion in the pit box.

Stewards' verdict

The incident was investigated by the stewards after the race. Ferrari were handed a €30,000 fine, €10,000 of which is suspended for a year. The team acknowledged an inappropriately late instruction for the wing adjustment, a lack of clear communication and the mechanic's failure to notice the green light, describing a complex combination of circumstances. No fault was attributed to Hamilton, who the stewards noted had also suffered a sporting disadvantage because he was delayed in leaving the stop, and he kept his fourth-place finish.

• Ferrari fined €30,000, with €10,000 of that suspended for a year
• The mechanic struck by the right-front tyre was unhurt
• No fault attributed to Hamilton, who retained fourth place
• Hamilton confirmed over team radio that the mechanic was okay
• The result puts him second in the Drivers' Championship, 45 points behind Kimi Antonelli

Hamilton's reaction

"The green light went and so I went," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1, explaining that his attention was on the lights to his left rather than on the mechanic, and that the situation was "more probably on the team, ultimately". He said his mind went straight back to the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, when a botched Ferrari stop for Kimi Raikkonen left mechanic Francesco Cigarini with a double leg fracture. This time he was relieved to be told the crew member was not injured after enquiring about him over the radio, saying his "heart really sank" in the moment it happened.

The championship now moves on to the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Ferrari will be looking for a cleaner weekend in the pits and Hamilton will aim to close the gap at the top of the standings.