Lewis Hamilton refused to sign a photograph of his crash with Fernando Alonso at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix upon arrival in the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps paddock for this year’s running of the race.
In 2022, the seven-time world champion made contact with his former McLaren team-mate at the end of the Kemmel Straight on the opening lap, sending his W13 airborne and bringing his race to a premature end.
Photographer Kym Illman took to social media to explain the exchange. Hamilton was asked to sign the printed photograph by a visitor in the paddock. The Mercedes driver replied: “I can’t sign that” in a ‘polite but firm’ manner.
While it was Alonso who had the last laugh at Spa in 2022, finishing an impressive fifth for Alpine while Hamilton was forced to accept a lap-one DNF, heading into the 2024 renewal of the Belgian GP it is the Mercedes driver who has the best chance of scoring a top result.
Mercedes are currently pursuing an aggressive upgrade schedule as they aim to hunt down Ferrari in the battle for third place in the Constructors’ Championship. Toto Wolff’s outfit are bringing new diffusers and beam wings to the Belgian GP, while tweaks have been made to the floor edge wing and the halo.
“It has been amazing,” Hamilton said in Belgium when discussing Mercedes’ progress. “We have gone through this difficult phase and have now built back up to be fighting for wins. We have come out with our heads held high. It is a great feeling, and I am proud of the work we are both doing with the team. I am really excited for the next few months.”
The last few weeks have produced several milestones for Hamilton, whose 2024 campaign is transitioning nicely from an unmitigated disaster over the course of the first eight races into a fitting farewell tour as he prepares to join Ferrari in 2025.
By holding off Max Verstappen at Silverstone, the Brit ended a 945-day winless streak that spanned back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and in doing so became the first-ever driver to win nine times at a single race track.
Then, after once again battling his former title rival Verstappen for the final spot on the Hungarian Grand Prix rostrum, Hamilton became the first driver to pass the 200-podium milestone, joining Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in making F1 history.
