Ferrari have been fined £25,512 after Lewis Hamilton accidentally hit a crew member with his car during a terrifying pit lane accident at the Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton was shown the green light during a pit stop, signalling that it was safe for him to pull away and get back onto the track at Spa-Francorchamps.
However, the seven-time Formula 1 champion stopped just moments later after hitting a member of his crew with a car, immediately checking in on the mechanic via his team radio. While the member of staff fortunately didn't sustain any serious damage, Hamilton has since admitted that his heart sank as he quickly remembered how Kimi Raikkonen had broken a mechanic's leg in Bahrain in a similar incident.
Hamilton's Reaction
Speaking after the Belgian GP, Hamilton said: "The green light went, and so I went. You're looking over here [at the light] and not over there [at the mechanic]. That's more on the team, ultimately. But when it happened, I noticed him and I stopped and what went through my mind at that moment was when Kimi hit and broke the leg, and my heart really sank for a second."
Incident Details
The incident occurred during a pit stop when Hamilton was given the go-ahead to leave his pit box. As he pulled away, he inadvertently struck a Ferrari mechanic who was still in the vicinity. The mechanic was assessed trackside and did not require hospital treatment, but the incident raised concerns about pit lane safety.
Ferrari were penalised for an unsafe release, resulting in the fine. The team accepted the penalty and confirmed they would review their pit stop procedures to prevent future occurrences.
