Lewis Hamilton told one confusing radio message he keeps receiving is ‘classic’ Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton ended a difficult Belgian Grand Prix by charging back into the points after making an early switch to slick tyres.

Rain hit the track around 30 minutes before the start, and visibility was deemed too poor to get the race underway.

Despite angst from F1 fans over racing in the rain, the FIA waited around half an hour before laps under the Safety Car commenced and racing got underway.

It was not until 12 laps that drivers started to make the switch to dry tyres, after starting on the Intermediate, with Hamilton among the first to come in for the gamble. It paid off for him, with the seven-time world champion moving up to seventh place.

Hamilton would not make any further progress in the race, largely after being told one message by his Ferrari engineer over team radio that has now become a “Ferrari classic” according to journalist Julianne Cerasoli’.

Lewis Hamilton told to lift and coast by Ferrari engineers

Hamilton was instructed to lift and coast by his engineer, Riccardo Adami, midway through the race after they were managing an issue on his car.

According to Cerasoli, this has become a regular feature for Ferrari, who are constantly left explaining why they are telling their drivers to do this after each race.

“After a while, he [Hamilton] starts hearing from Adami, you have to lift and coast. This is becoming a Ferrari classic this season, and each race they give a different explanation for why they do lift and coast,” said Cerasoli.

“The car is configured for a wet track, so this issue of car height doesn’t make sense because it will be higher. This braking issue for the Spa track also doesn’t make much sense.

“I mention these two points because they were things Ferrari gave as explanations in the past, so in Canada, they said it was lift and coast because of the brakes. There were other races, they said it was due to the brakes, so this time we’re left with the fuel.”

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Lewis Hamilton made positive steps forward despite Belgian GP problems

Onlookers felt that Hamilton’s pace in the wet was “not normal” as he produced some of the fastest laps in the rain, despite struggling with his car all weekend.

Hamilton spun in Sprint qualifying, and then he would later be eliminated early in Grand Prix qualifying due to a track limit violation.

Damon Hill thinks the seven-time world champion needs more time at Ferrari before he can bring in the results everyone anticipated at the start of the season.

Hamilton’s commitment to Ferrari’s cause has increased, especially after George Russell noticed that he is going to fewer events outside of F1 as he tries to sort out the Italian squad’s problems.