Lewis Hamilton finished fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a result he described as frustrating given the car’s performance. He acknowledged that recent races have been challenging due to personal errors, stating, “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.”
Hamilton’s race day was impacted by several setbacks, preventing him from converting Ferrari’s pace into a stronger finish. He had initially qualified in second place, just 0.012 seconds behind Lando Norris’s pole position time. However, a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during the final stage of qualifying meant he started the race from fifth position.
Pre-race penalties and strategy
The grid penalty for impeding Piastri was confirmed after stewards reviewed the incident. Hamilton had slowed down after crossing the start-finish line in Q3, and his Ferrari appeared to block Piastri through Turn One as the McLaren driver began his final timed attempt. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur took responsibility for the incident, stating that the team’s communication to Hamilton about Piastri’s approach was too late.
Hamilton expressed surprise at being sent out first for his final qualifying run, noting, “I don’t know why we went first, and that was a bit of a shock to me.” He believed this strategy contributed to him not improving his time, ultimately losing pole position to Norris. He also mentioned that pole position, which would have been his first at this event in three years, “definitely got away from us.”
Another driver, Kimi Antonelli, also received a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags after Max Verstappen spun. This penalty dropped Antonelli from fourth to seventh on the grid, behind Mercedes teammate George Russell. Antonelli explained that he lifted off the throttle, but stewards determined his speed was still slightly higher than his previous lap, leading to the penalty.
Heading into Sunday’s race, Hamilton prepared for “damage limitation.” He started on soft tyres, which proved to be the optimal compound for Ferrari, though the team later struggled with their hard sets.
Race day challenges and reflections
During the race, Hamilton was involved in a battle with Verstappen. He later appeared to move back into podium contention following a pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car. However, he had to allow Antonelli to pass for third place to avoid a penalty for overtaking under VSC conditions.
Further complicating his race, Hamilton incurred a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. As his teammate Charles Leclerc closed the gap in the final laps, Hamilton ultimately dropped to fifth at the chequered flag. Leclerc, who started on the front row, also had a difficult race, losing several positions at the start and stopping three times. He finished fourth after Hamilton’s penalty was applied.
Leclerc reflected on the opening lap, noting an overestimation of grip on the inside of the track. He indicated that the team needs to analyze this, especially considering their positive performance on Friday. He also suggested that Mercedes might have been running low engine modes on Friday, gaining significant performance later.
Hamilton has received three stewards’ penalties in the last three race weekends, including in-race sanctions at Silverstone for a false start and a first-lap collision with Russell in Belgium. He shared his frustration on social media, stating, “After three penalties in three weekends, it’s becoming difficult to hang on to that positivity.” Despite the setbacks, he expressed hope for future races, noting the team’s progress and the car’s improved performance throughout the weekend.
Source: formula1.com
