January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, July 26 — Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated and bewildered after an unusual spin during sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix knocked him out of the session, with the seven-time world champion admitting he had never experienced anything like it in his career. Meanwhile, Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured fourth on the grid.
Despite the setback, Hamilton was cleared of fault by veteran commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, who suggested the incident was caused by a rear axle failure under braking.
“It was highly unusual,” Brundle noted. “Nobody will be more surprised than Lewis. It looked like a technical issue—almost as if the engine stalled and every time he shifted gears, it locked the rear axle.”
Hamilton ultimately qualified 18th out of 20 cars, just a day after expressing strong motivation to win a championship with Ferrari and avoid the struggles faced by former champions like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
He had a tough day overall at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit—one of his longtime favourites—running wide at Stavelot in the early stages of SQ1 before spinning at the final chicane.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Hamilton said simply, “I spun,” adding that it was likely the first time in his career he had spun in such a way.
“There’s not much to say. I’m obviously really frustrated,” he admitted. “A lot of effort went into today, and to end up here is disappointing. Hopefully, tomorrow brings better luck.” — AFP
