By Bilal Ahmed
Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration following the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished fifth. His performance led him to reflect on what he described as “costly mistakes” that have impacted his recent races and title aspirations. Despite Ferrari’s strong pace, Hamilton was unable to secure a higher position.
Hamilton’s race weekend began with a promising qualifying session, where he initially secured second place, just 0.012 seconds behind Lando Norris’ pole position time. However, this was followed by a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during the final stage of qualifying. This demotion meant he started the race from fifth position.
The penalty was one of several setbacks for Hamilton. He had previously received three stewards’ penalties across the last three race weekends. These included a five-second in-race sanction for a false start at Silverstone and another for a first-lap collision with George Russell in Belgium.
Hamilton described the situation on social media, stating, “Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. Another weekend when I’ve been feeling great throughout all the sessions, but then it just falls apart.” He added that moving from being close to pole to starting P5 was “extremely frustrating.” He emphasized the importance of every point and seizing every opportunity, noting that three penalties in three weekends made it difficult to maintain positivity. Despite the setbacks, he remained hopeful due to the team’s progress and the car’s improved performance.
Race day challenges
On race day, Hamilton started on soft tyres, which initially appeared to be the optimal compound for Ferrari. However, the team later struggled to extract performance from their hard sets. Hamilton engaged in a battle with Max Verstappen during the race. He also found himself in a position to contend for a podium after a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period.
During the VSC, Hamilton had to allow Kimi 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 the race concluded, his teammate Charles Leclerc closed the gap, and with Hamilton’s penalty applied, he ultimately dropped to fifth at the chequered flag.
Reflecting on the race, Hamilton stated, “Obviously frustrated, disappointed to come away with so little, given the car was good.” He acknowledged the team’s efforts, but reiterated that recent races had been costly due to his own mistakes. He also commented on the first half of the season, saying, “It’s been OK. 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.”
Teammate’s perspective and grid penalties
Charles Leclerc also shared a downbeat sentiment, as Ferrari did not manage to capitalize on their early promise at the Hungaroring. Leclerc, who started on the front row, missed out on what would have been his third consecutive podium. He lost several positions at the start of the race and suggested that an alternative strategy might have been beneficial. Like Hamilton, Leclerc made three pit stops and finished fourth after Hamilton’s penalty was added.
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 noted that while a difference in grip between the right and left sides was expected, it was more significant than anticipated. He also speculated that Mercedes might have been running low engine modes on Friday, which could explain their apparent gain in performance.
In addition to Hamilton’s penalty, Kimi Antonelli also received a three-place grid demotion. Antonelli, who leads Hamilton by 45 points in the Drivers’ Championship, was penalized for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags after Max Verstappen spun. This penalty moved Antonelli to seventh on the grid, behind Mercedes teammate George Russell. Stewards determined that while Antonelli did lift off the throttle, his speed was still slightly higher than his previous lap, deeming the reduction in speed insufficient.
The grid penalties significantly reshuffled the starting order for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lando Norris secured pole position, with Hamilton’s penalty promoting Charles Leclerc to second. Oscar Piastri moved up to third, and Max Verstappen, who originally qualified sixth, started from fourth.
Hamilton also questioned Ferrari’s strategy regarding his final qualifying run. He held provisional pole after the first timed laps in Q3 but was sent out as the first car for the final runs. He admitted, “I don’t know why we went first, and that was a bit of a shock to me.” He felt he would not have chosen to go first, and a snap into Turn One on his final lap caused him to be down by a significant margin. He concluded that the last lap was his worst, and despite having a car capable of pole, he did not deliver, making it “tough to swallow.”
The incident with Piastri occurred when Hamilton, having completed his final lap, slowed down. The stewards judged that he unnecessarily impeded Piastri through Turn One as the McLaren driver began his own timed attempt. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur took responsibility for the incident, stating that the team informed Hamilton too late about Piastri’s approach. Hamilton himself said he was told about Piastri “literally when he was at the apex behind me,” and that he had no idea Piastri was coming, believing everyone had finished their laps.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was held on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
Source: formula1.com
