Hamilton feeling 'useless' after Hungarian GP qualifying flop

New Straits Times

4 days ago

BUDAPEST: A crestfallen Lewis Hamilton declared himself "useless" after qualifying in 12th position for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday as Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc surged to pole position.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton exited the session in Q2 with his head down and his helmet on as the 40-year-old retreated to the team's motor home.
"I'm useless," said the British driver.
"Absolutely useless. The team has no problem. You've seen the car on pole so they probably need to change driver."
But he was backed to bounce back by four-time champion Max Verstappen who himself ranted about his Red Bull car and team after struggling to line up eighth on the grid.
"Looking at the whole weekend, I think we're happy to be in Q3 because I've been more outside the top 10 than in it -- so, yeah, it's been difficult this whole weekend," said the Dutch driver.
"No grip, front and rear, and it was the same in qualifying so, for me, it was not really a shock. I just drove to what I already feel the whole weekend."
The 27-year-old Dutchman added that Red Bull -- who had left a towel in his cockpit during a pitstop on Friday which led him to throw it out of the car, 24 hours after he had declared he was staying for 2026 -- did not yet understand the problems with the car.
"No, clearly not," he said. "I mean, otherwise, of course, we would have changed it already, but somehow, this weekend, nothing seems to work."
Last year, Verstappen said he had been quick enough to challenge for pole, but this season, "from lap one, it just felt off -- and we threw the car around a lot and nothing really gave a direction.
"Now, it's just nothing works. You know, it's like just going around in circles and nothing gives you any kind of idea of what to do."
Looking ahead to Sunday's race, he said: "There may be a few cars in front of me that I can maybe battle with a little bit and, of course, Lewis is still a bit further down the road which, I think, he shouldn't be there right? So, he will come through a bit."
The two multiple champions, who battled so intensely in 2021 when Verstappen claimed his first title after a controversial victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, appear to have found a rapprochement and mutual respect.
But Hamilton's heart-on-sleeve vulnerability as he seeks his first Ferrari podium after 13 races this year may soon become a sad ending story if he cannot sort out his qualifying woes.
As the record-holder of nine poles and a record eight wins at the Hungaroring, he has to produce a rousing reminder of his best racing days on Sunday, as Verstappen expects. - AFP