Hamilton questions Ferrari strategy after Hungarian Grand Prix penalties
Hamilton’s frustration with pit stop decision
Lewis Hamilton expressed significant frustration with his Ferrari team following the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he dropped points in the title race against Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton finished fourth on track but was classified fifth after receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. The race was won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull in second and Antonelli in third.
The penalty stemmed from a late pit stop under a virtual safety car, a decision Hamilton openly questioned. He stated, “I definitely don’t think we should have taken the stop but the call came literally just before the pit-lane entry and I didn’t have time to debate.” This strategic choice provided him with fresh tyres but resulted in a loss of track position to Verstappen and Antonelli, positions he was unable to regain.
Hamilton believes that without the pit stop, he might have maintained a higher position. “I would never have stopped if it meant I was giving up track position. I may have been able to hold on to P2. He [Verstappen] was catching me but most likely it would have been P3 [in front of Antonelli] and it would have been much better. Instead, I lost a bunch of points.”
Penalties and championship implications
The pit-lane speeding penalty was Hamilton’s second stewards’ penalty of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. He had previously received a three-place grid drop for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying. This dropped him from second to fifth on the starting grid for Sunday’s race. Furthermore, Hamilton had incurred five-second penalties in the two preceding races: one for colliding with George Russell in Belgium and another for a jump start at Silverstone.
These penalties have impacted Hamilton’s standing in the Drivers’ Championship. He now trails Antonelli by 50 points as Formula One enters its summer break. Hamilton had been 45 points behind Antonelli prior to the Hungarian race. He acknowledged making “lots of mistakes” in recent races and expressed a commitment to avoiding further penalties.
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton remains optimistic about the second half of the season. He noted, “It has been an amazing first half given I think we’ve been probably three or four-tenths down on the straights in pace and power for the first half of the season. We’ve got a bit more to come in the second half and we keep on pushing. The second half will be stronger, usually the second half is a stronger period for me.”
Norris celebrates first victory
While Hamilton faced challenges, Lando Norris secured his and McLaren’s first victory of the year at the Hungaroring. Norris believes his current performance level surpasses even his title-winning season, despite the dominance of Mercedes in the initial 11 meetings of the season. He described his performance in Hungary as one of his best, highlighting his ability to extract maximum performance from the car.
Norris commented on his driving, stating, “Today I would probably say it was up there with one of my best performances, in terms of extracting performance out of the car and being so close to the limit every single lap.” He added that the team even had to ask him to reduce his pace slightly. He feels he is performing better this year than last year.
The British driver is 91 points behind Antonelli in the championship standings, with 12 races remaining. Norris, like Hamilton, sees potential for the second half of the season, especially given the effectiveness of the significant upgrades McLaren introduced in Hungary. He was particularly pleased with the car’s strength and speed during the race.
Norris concluded, “I was convinced I could win the race today and we did. We were just on another level and I felt in a very good flow of things. When the car’s good and when I’m in a good flow, there’s no stopping.” The Formula 1 season is set to resume with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23.
Source: theguardian.com
Reuben Castle is the Sports News Writer at News GB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from print into digital sport news. He holds a degree in Journalism from Coventry University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Coventry, he follows the Open Championship and amateur boxing. “Accuracy first; the analysis can follow.”
