Autobayng News Team
Four drivers will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the pit lane after their teams made changes to their cars following qualifying.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso have all taken new power units. Williams have changed the rear wing specification on Carlos Sainz Jnr’s car, ahead of what is expected to be a wet race.
The four drivers were all eliminated in the first round of qualifying yesterday. Their penalties mean no more than 16 drivers will line up on the grid for today’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was dejected after dropping out in the first round of qualifying for both this weekend’s F1 races at Spa. He initially set a time which would have been quick enough to put him in Q2, but it was deleted because he exceeded track limits at Raidillon.
“It’s just incredibly painful,” Hamilton told the official Formula 1 channel after qualifying. “It’s turning out to be a pretty bad weekend so far.”
“It’s going to be very hard from where I am,” he added. “So definitely a weekend to forget.”
Hamilton finished the sprint race 15th, three places higher than he started. He originally qualified for today’s grand prix in 16th, one place behind Sainz.
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Alonso was dismayed by Aston Martin’s performance after he and his team mate qualified on the back row of the grid. He originally took 19th ahead of Lance Stroll.
“It hurts for sure, I’m a little bit disappointed,” said Alonso.” The weekend so far has been not the most competitive one for us.
“Being the last two cars doesn’t reflect, I think, a little bit our performance in this year. It is something on this layout, on this track that is a little bit worse for our package and we need to understand that.”
Antonelli appeared close to tears at points when speaking to media following his first Q1 elimination since the season-opener in Australia. “It’s just a difficult period and I just need to get out of this and try to improve for the next one,” he said after qualifying 18th.
“The confidence has been missing,” he added. “I definitely also struggled to have the same feeling as yesterday, for example. I just really need to find the light out of the tunnel again.”
Updated 2025 Belgian Grand Prix grid
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