Hamilton Qualifies Fifth After Crash Repair at Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton will start the Belgian Grand Prix from fifth on the grid after his Ferrari team successfully repaired his car following a heavy crash in Saturday's final practice session. The seven-time world champion lost control on the exit of the Fagnes chicane at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, causing significant damage to the right-rear of his car just over two hours before qualifying.

The incident occurred in the closing moments of the session, with Hamilton reporting over team radio that he had destroyed the car. His mechanics worked urgently to complete repairs in time for the afternoon qualifying session. Despite the crash, Hamilton qualified just two-thousandths of a second behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, securing a provisional spot on the third row.

Hamilton acknowledged his team's effort but noted the car did not feel identical after the repairs. He said something was not the same on the rear suspension, affecting the balance compared to how the car felt in practice, when he described it as feeling really great. He expressed gratitude that the car was ready and said he hoped it would remain okay for Sunday's race.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took pole position...