Lewis Hamilton turned heads at Spa-Froncorchamps on Sunday morning when he was spotted leaving the Mercedes garage ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. F1 photographer Kym Illman, who witnessed the moment, said it’s believed Hamilton visited to offer words of encouragement to rookie Kimi Antonelli after a challenging qualifying session. Saturday’s qualifying was one to forget for both drivers.
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes Garage Visit Sparks Wild Fan Reactions originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Lewis Hamilton turned heads at Spa-Froncorchamps on Sunday morning when he was spotted leaving the Mercedes garage ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
F1 photographer Kym Illman, who witnessed the moment, said it’s believed Hamilton visited to offer words of encouragement to rookie Kimi Antonelli after a challenging qualifying session.
Saturday’s qualifying was one to forget for both drivers. Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari , could only manage P16, while Antonelli, in his debut F1 season with Mercedes, qualified P18. Their teammates fared far better, with Charles Leclerc taking P3 for Ferrari and George Russell securing P6 for Mercedes.
The paddock appearance quickly set social media buzzing, with fans divided on what it meant. One fan wrote, “Perhaps consoling each other.” Another praised Hamilton’s leadership, “He lifts. He empowers. He leads by example on and off the tracks.”
Not all reactions were positive. One comment read, “what is he doing bruv, he’s a competitor not a charity case. Hope he went to manipulate him into doing even worse.” Another joked, “And receive some words of encouragement from Toto.”
Hamilton’s relationship with Mercedes runs deep, having spent over a decade with the team and winning six of his seven world championships there.
Kym Illman spotted Lewis Hamilton leaving the Mercedes garage this morning. He said it’s believed Lewis was in giving Kimi Antonelli words of encouragement after the bad qualifying yesterday.#F1#BelgianGP 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/L55cc58j9r
— deni (@fiagirly) July 27, 2025
While it’s common for former drivers to visit old garages, the timing — just a day after one of Hamilton’s toughest qualifying sessions of the season — sparked plenty of debate.
Whether it was a simple show of support or a subtle psychological move, Hamilton’s presence in the Mercedes garage has become one of the most talked-about moments of the Belgian GP weekend.
Related: Lewis Hamilton ‘Massively Frustrated’ After Shock SQ1 Exit at Belgian GP
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
