SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (Belgium), July 27 — Lewis Hamilton will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the pit lane after Ferrari fitted a new power unit to his car, following a difficult qualifying session that saw him finish 16th.

The seven-time Formula One world champion has endured a challenging weekend at Spa, placing 18th in Friday’s sprint qualifying and finishing 15th in the 100km sprint race on Saturday.

Hamilton, who joined Ferrari in January, has yet to secure a podium finish with the Italian team. He apologised to Ferrari after Saturday’s race, calling his performance “unacceptable”.

Despite his struggles, the Briton has a strong track record at Spa, having won five times and only missed the podium twice in races he has completed at the circuit.

Ferrari confirmed the engine change on Saturday. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will also start from the pit lane due to similar power unit changes.

Rainy weather is expected to affect Sunday’s race. Earlier, the Formula Two feature race began behind the safety car, while the Formula Three race was cancelled due to poor track conditions. — Reuters