Lewis Hamilton’s F1 Hungarian GP was nothing short of challenging. He finished outside the points in 12th position after struggling through qualifying and an ultimately unsuccessful alternate race strategy.
The seven-time world champion found himself eliminated in Q2 on Saturday, setting the tone for what would become a frustrating Sunday at the Hungaroring. Despite attempting a one-stop strategy starting on hard tyres, Hamilton was unable to make significant progress through the field.
Post-race reflections
Following the disappointing result, Hamilton remained characteristically reserved when speaking to media. Hamilton’s Hungarian GP post-race interview saw him offer a brief assessment of his race.
“[I feel] same [like after qualifying],” Hamilton stated. “I look forward to coming back, I’ll be back, yeah [in Zandvoort].”
He continued: “Not particularly, the reality is not the case, the result is the result. I am sure there’s positives to take from the weekend, we will see. I am not sure [about small details].”
When asked by Sky Sports to clarify his earlier controversial comments post-qualifying, Hamilton delivered a cryptic response.
“Not particularly, when you have a feeling, you have a feeling,” he said. “There’s a lot going on in the background that’s not great.” However, Hamilton was keen to emphasize his continued passion for the sport, stating “I still love it. I still love racing.”
The British driver chose not to dwell on the specifics of what went wrong during his Hungarian GP weekend.
Finding silver linings
Despite the frustration, Hamilton acknowledged some progress with recent car upgrades. He noted improvements made since the Belgian GP.
“We’ve definitely made some improvements on the upgrades, and it is a shame that we’re not as competitive as the guys in front,” Hamilton said.
He added: “But we’ve seen Charles have a really strong run in the last two races, and the car is definitely progressing, so we have to keep trying to extract more from it.”
His comments highlighted the contrasting fortunes within the team during the Hungarian GP weekend. Hamilton’s Hungarian GP difficulties began in qualifying. Teammate Charles Leclerc secured pole position before ultimately dropping down to P4 during the race. Meanwhile, Hamilton battled to try and get through to the lower points positions.
Race day struggles and strategic gamble
During the race, Hamilton described his predicament over team radio as being a “sitting duck.” He found himself stuck behind drivers such as Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar in a DRS train. This limited his ability to make progress through the field during his GP.
Hamilton stopped for medium tyres at the end of lap 42. He managed to pass Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon later in that stint.
However, he could not make any other significant ground during Hamilton’s Hungarian GP. He finished just over a second behind Isack Hadjar.
Hamilton also had a small incident with Max Verstappen at Turn 4. When asked about this incident, Hamilton was brief saying “I don’t have much to say on it.”
Hamilton’s Hungarian GP race strategy involved starting on hard tyres and attempting to extend his stint. However, the plan ultimately failed to deliver the hoped-for results.
The decision represented a calculated risk to gain positions through an alternative approach. This was necessary given his starting position outside the top ten.
Looking forward
Hamilton’s Hungarian GP weekend highlighted the unpredictable nature of current Formula 1. Despite the setback and cryptic comments about background issues, his passion remains evident.
The seven-time champion remains committed to bouncing back at the next opportunity after his challenging Hungarian GP experience.
