Lewis Hamilton finished fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a result he attributed to a series of errors, impacting his title aspirations. Despite Ferrari’s pace, Hamilton faced multiple setbacks during the race.
Hamilton had initially qualified in second position, narrowly missing pole by 0.012s. However, a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying meant he started the race further back. He described his approach to Sunday’s race as “damage limitation,” beginning on soft tyres, which proved to be the optimal compound for Ferrari.
Race Day Challenges
During the race, Hamilton engaged in a battle with Max Verstappen. He later appeared to re-enter podium contention following a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period. However, he had to allow Kimi Antonelli to pass for third place to avoid a penalty for overtaking under VSC conditions.
Further compounding his difficulties, Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. This penalty, combined with his team-mate Charles Leclerc closing the gap in the final laps, led to Hamilton dropping to fifth at the chequered flag.
Hamilton expressed frustration, stating, “Obviously frustrated, disappointed to come away with so little, given the car was good. The team did a great job, but ultimately these last few races have been costly with mistakes from myself.” He acknowledged that his performance in the first half of the season “has not been perfect from my side.”
Leclerc also shared a downbeat assessment, as Ferrari did not fully capitalize on their early promise at the Hungaroring. He missed out on what could have been a third consecutive podium despite starting on the front row. Leclerc lost several positions at the start and later suggested that an alternative strategy might have been beneficial. He ultimately finished ahead of Hamilton in fourth place after Hamilton’s penalty was applied.
Reflecting on the opening lap, Leclerc noted, “I knew it was a critical moment of the race and unfortunately I did the right procedure but for some reason… We all put the settings of the car to a certain place for the grip we expect, and for whatever reason that we need to analyse, we have overestimated the grip that was on the inside.”
Penalties and Future Outlook
The pit-lane speeding sanction was Hamilton’s second penalty of the Budapest weekend, following the grid drop for impeding Piastri. He had also incurred five-second penalties in the two preceding races. In Belgium, he received a penalty for a collision, and at Silverstone, for a jump start.
Hamilton questioned the decision for a third pit stop under the VSC, suggesting it “opened the door” to his latest penalty. He stated, “I definitely don’t think we should have taken the stop. But the call came literally just before the pit lane entry and I didn’t have time to debate and you’ve got to trust the decision that has been taken.” He believes he could have maintained at least third place without the stop.
His fifth-place finish meant he lost further ground to Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship. Hamilton remains optimistic about Ferrari’s prospects for the remainder of the season but acknowledged the need to avoid further penalties. He stated, “I think the last three races of me have not been great. Lots of mistakes… so I’ve got to work hard to not give them any opportunity to give me any more penalties moving forwards.”
The Formula 1 season is set to resume with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23.
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Source: formula1.com
