Lewis Hamilton finished fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, expressing frustration over what he described as “costly mistakes” that hindered his performance. Despite Ferrari’s pace, Hamilton was unable to convert it into a stronger result, attributing this to errors on his part during the race weekend and in recent events.
Hamilton’s weekend began with a strong qualifying performance, securing P2, just 0.012s behind Lando Norris’ pole position. However, he received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during the final stage of qualifying, which dropped him to fifth on the grid for Sunday’s race. This penalty marked his second sanction of the Budapest weekend and his fourth in the last three events.
Race Day Challenges and Penalties
Starting on soft tyres, Hamilton aimed for “damage limitation” in the race. He engaged in a battle with Max Verstappen before a pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) appeared to move him back into podium contention. However, he had to allow Kimi Antonelli to pass for P3 to avoid a penalty for overtaking under VSC conditions.
Further compounding his difficulties, Hamilton incurred a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. This penalty, combined with his teammate Charles Leclerc closing the gap in the final laps, ultimately saw Hamilton drop to P5 at the chequered flag. The pit-lane speeding incident occurred when his Ferrari exceeded the 80kph speed limit by 0.1kph.
Hamilton later questioned the decision to make a third pit stop under the VSC, stating, “I definitely don’t think we should have taken the stop.” He explained that the call came just before the pit lane entry, leaving him no time to debate, and he felt compelled to trust the team’s decision. He believed his tyres were “totally fine” and that he “could have kept third at least” without the additional stop, which he felt “opened up the door” to the subsequent penalty.
Reflecting on Recent Performances
Reflecting on the first half of the season, Hamilton acknowledged that his performance “has not been perfect.” He stated, “I’ve really got to work hard to try to figure out how I can do better in the second half.” He also admitted to “lots of mistakes” in recent races, including a costly error at Silverstone and another penalty in Belgium for colliding with George Russell on the opening lap.
These penalties have impacted his standing 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, though he stressed the importance of avoiding further penalties. He expressed gratitude to the team for their efforts in the first half of the season.
Leclerc also experienced a challenging race, missing out on a third consecutive podium despite starting on the front row. He lost several positions at the start, suggesting that the team might need to consider alternative strategies. He noted that they had overestimated the grip on the inside of the track during the opening lap, an issue the team needs to analyse. Leclerc, like Hamilton, made three pit stops and ultimately finished P4 after Hamilton’s penalty was applied.
The Formula 1 season is scheduled to resume after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23.
Source: formula1.com
George Hartwell is the Senior Football Correspondent at News-GB.org, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with twelve years of reporting experience. He reported on West Country football before national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of the West of England and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Bristol, he watches grassroots football and writes a tactics column. “Tactics tell you more than any scoreline.”