Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration following the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished fifth, citing personal errors that have impacted his recent performances. Despite Ferrari’s pace, Hamilton was unable to convert his qualifying position into a stronger race result, accumulating penalties during the event.
Hamilton’s weekend began with a strong qualifying performance, securing P2, just 0.012s behind Lando Norris’ pole position time. However, he incurred a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during the final stage of qualifying, pushing him down the starting order.
Race Day Challenges and Penalties
Starting on soft tyres, a compound that initially suited Ferrari, Hamilton aimed for “damage limitation.” The race saw him in a close battle with Max Verstappen. Later, a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period appeared to put him back in podium contention. However, he was compelled to allow Kimi Antonelli to pass for P3 to avoid a penalty for overtaking under VSC conditions.
Further compounding his challenges, 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, ultimately saw Hamilton drop to P5 at the chequered flag.
Reflecting on the race, Hamilton stated, “It’s not been perfect from my side, so I’ve really got to work hard to try to figure out how I can do better in the second half.” He acknowledged that the last few races have been “costly with mistakes from myself.”
The pit-lane speeding sanction marked Hamilton’s second penalty of the weekend at the Hungaroring. He had also received five-second penalties in the two preceding races. Last week in Belgium, he was penalised for colliding with George Russell on the opening lap, and a fortnight prior at Silverstone, he received a similar sanction for a jump race start.
Team-mate’s Perspective and Future Outlook
Charles Leclerc also experienced a disappointing race, failing to secure a third consecutive podium despite starting on the front row. He lost several positions at the start, attributing it to overestimating grip on the inside of the track. Leclerc suggested that Ferrari should consider alternative strategies, but like Hamilton, he made three pit stops and finished P4 after Hamilton’s penalty was applied.
Leclerc commented on the opening lap, saying, “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.” He added that they need to understand why Mercedes seemed to gain significant performance.
Hamilton’s fifth-place finish meant he lost further ground to Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship, with Antonelli now holding a 50-point advantage. Despite the setbacks, Hamilton remains optimistic about Ferrari’s prospects for the remainder of the season. He emphasised the need to avoid further penalties, stating, “I’ve got to work hard to not give them any opportunity to give me any more penalties moving forwards.”
He expressed gratitude to the team, acknowledging their strong performance in the first half of the season. The Formula 1 season is scheduled to resume after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23.
Source: formula1.com
Daniel Fairbrother is the Senior Football Correspondent at Latest News UK, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with over a decade of reporting experience. He spent eight years on the football desk of a Yorkshire daily before moving into national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Leeds, he watches non-league football and runs a five-a-side league. “The best football stories are won in the week, not on the whistle.”