Lewis Hamilton hits personal mechanic as FIA launch investigation into Belgian GP double crash
Lewis Hamilton had a nightmare afternoon at the Belgian Grand Prix – and he’s now under investigation from the FIA for two separate incidents
Lewis Hamilton crashed into his own mechanic
Lewis Hamilton endured an almighty nightmare in Belgium after he crashed into former team-mate George Russell before later hitting his own Ferrari mechanic.
Hamilton, 41, was slapped with a five-second penalty following a collision with Mercedes driver Russell at the Belgian Grand Prix – which caused the 28-year-old Brit to abandon the race.
Russell later raged: “I just got totally swallowed up down the straight. I lost three positions down the straight down into Turn Five and then the incident was a racing incident. Maybe I could have gone a bit wider, maybe he could have braked a bit more, the incident shouldn’t have happened if I had the speed down the straight. Very, very disappointed.”
Lewis Hamilton had crashed into George Russell(Image: Sky Sports)
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However, after opening an initial investigation, governing body the FIA then launched a second into Hamilton when the Brit knocked his mechanic to the ground during a pit stop.
Ferrari had elected to bring in Hamilton during a virtual safety car when the incident occurred.
The star made low-speed contact with a Ferrari mechanic working on the front right of the car, sending him tumbling to the ground.
George Russell retired from the Belgian Grand Prix after a crash with Lewis Hamilton(Image: Sky Sports)
Hamilton quickly asked over team radio whether the mechanic was okay – and race engineer Carlo Santi confirmed the mechanic was fine.
The FIA are now investigating the potential unsafe release.
Russell’s withdrawal from the Belgian GP has dealt a massive blow to his championship aspirations, reports the Mirror. Heading into Spa, the Briton sat second in the Drivers’ Championship and 25 points adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli.
However, he has now lost more ground to the Italian, who took the chequered flag – with Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen rounding off the podium.
