Hopefully I will be back – Hamilton after Budapest nightmare
Budapest
A dejected Lewis Hamilton said he will 'hopefully' return for Formula One's next race - after he cryptically claimed 'there is a lot going on in the background that is not great' following the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest ob Sunday.
A day after Hamilton described himself as 'absolutely useless', and called on his own Ferrari team to replace him, the seven-time world champion started 12th and finished in the same position at the Hungaroring, a lap behind winner Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc was fourth in the other Ferrari.
Fronting up to TV cameras after the conclusion of the 14th race of his Ferrari career which has so far failed to live up to its pre-season hype, Hamilton was asked to reflect on his post-qualifying comments.
'When you have a feeling, you have a feeling,' he told Sky Sports. 'There is a lot going on in the background that is not great.'
Asked if he had fallen out of love with racing, Hamilton replied: 'No, I still love the team.' Hamilton then headed for his session with the print media.
Quizzed on how he felt a day on from being eliminated in Q2 - a performance made all the more harrowing after Leclerc took pole position, he replied: 'Same.' Put to him that his remarks suggesting that Ferrari 'need a new driver' would worry his fans, the British driver again replied: 'Same.'
Asked if he had anything else to say other than 'the same', Hamilton said: 'I have got nothing else to say.'
The sport now breaks for four weeks for its mid-season shutdown. The next race takes place in the Netherlands on August 31.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
8 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Svitolina hits out at online abuse
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has made abuse on social media public and hit out at the haters. World number 13 Svitolina shared a number of abusive posts in her Instagram story on Wednesday, after a quarter-final defeat against Naomi Osaka in Montreal the previous day. Messages included 'kill yourself', 'I wish you die tonight', were related to Russia's invasion of her home country, and to betting. 'To all bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete. The way you talk to women - to mothers - is SHAMEFUL. If your mums saw your messages, they would be disgusted,' she said. Svitolina, 30, is married to French player Gael Monfils, and they have a little daughter. Svitolina is among many tennis players to be the target of online abuse. German players Eva Lys and Tamara Korpatsch had recently exposed hate comments, with Korpatsch after a defeat singling out people who had bet on her. The women's body WTA has started offering players a technological solution which filters abusive posts and comments with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). (DPA)
Qatar Tribune
8 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
US Open singles champs to get record $5mn in prize-money hike
DPA New York Total player compensation paid out at the US Open will rise to $90 million this year, the Grand Slam tournament announced on Wednesday, with the singles champions set to take home an eye-watering $5 million in prize money each. 'This summer's New York showcase will be the first tennis event to reach $90 million in total player compensation,' the tournament said in a statement, noting it was once again offering the 'largest purse in tennis history.' Last year, the US Open paid out $75 million across all events, it said, meaning it is increasing player compensation by 20% this year. The women's and men's singles champions and finalists will see the biggest increase in prize money at the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, set to take home 39% more than was paid out last year. Main-draw singles runner-ups are set to receive $2.5 million each, while semi-finalists will be paid $1.26 million, up 26% from last year. Total prize money for the men's and women's doubles events is also to be increased by 23%, the tournament said, with the winning teams set to earn $1 million in prize money for the first time. The winning team of the mixed doubles competition will also receive $1 million in prize money, after the US Open revamped the format. The event will no longer be played during the main draw of singles play, but instead take place a few days before the main draw plays on August 24. The competition will feature 16 teams, with eight earning direct entry based on their combined singles ranking and eight wild-card entries - which has led to criticism that the new format favours singles players over traditional doubles players. Total prize money for the men's and women's singles qualifying events has also been bumped up by 10% compared to last year, with the total purse to reach $8 million in 2025.
Qatar Tribune
8 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Nunez set for Reds Community Shield squad despite possible exit
PA Media/dpa London Forward Darwin Nunez is expected to be in Liverpool's squad for the Community Shield on Sunday despite ongoing speculation about his future. The PA news agency understands the Uruguay international's representatives are in talks with Al Hilal, who have been linked with the striker for several months, but the Saudi Pro League club have yet to open discussions with the Reds. Until the 26-year-old makes a decision on whether he wants to move to the Middle East there is unlikely to be any approach. A similar situation surrounds midfielder Harvey Elliott, who is wanted by RB Leipzig. The 22-year-old, player of the tournament as England won the European Under-21 Championships this summer, made 28 appearances last season but only three were starts in either the Premier League or Champions League. His opportunities are likely to be even more limited heading into the new campaign and after featuring in Monday's 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao he was last to leave the pitch, waving and blowing kisses to all four sides of the ground.
