Lewis Hamilton left his Ferrari mechanics with a mountain to climb ahead of qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix after crashing in final practice.
In what was an almost identical incident to Alpine driver Pierre Gasly's smash in second practice on Friday, on his final flying lap in the dying moments of FP3 at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Hamilton ran wide in emerging from the Fagnes chicane.
In attempting to control his car as it careered across the gravel, the seven-time F1 champion hit a barrier with the rear of his SF-26.
The impact immediately ripped off the rear wheel that was left hanging on by its tethers, whilst also severely damaging the rear wing.
Unlike Gasly, who spun through 360 degrees twice before finally coming to rest, Hamilton maintained forward momentum before finally stopping on track due to the damage sustained.
Asked over the radio whether he was okay, Hamilton responded by saying: "I've destroyed the car! Sorry!"
It means his team is in a race against time to repair the car and ready it for qualifying, which starts at 3pm UK [4pm CET; 10am EST].
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