Hungarian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton Says He's 'Useless' And Suggests A Driver Change At Ferrari
Hamilton had said "every time, every time" over the radio after he was eliminated in the second part of qualifying. That signified that "it's me every time," he clarified to Sky later.
Hamilton had earlier seemed set to qualify 13th, and he was only promoted to 12th after the second part of qualifying had finished. That was because Kimi Antonelli's time was struck out after it was noticed the Mercedes rookie had gone outside the track limits.
It was the second week running that Hamilton had been frustrated with his qualifying performance. He qualified 18th for the sprint race in Belgium last week after a spin, and 16th for the Grand Prix when one of his times was struck out.
Still, Hamilton delivered one of his best drives of the year, cutting through the field on a wet track, and eventually finished seventh.
After a move from Mercedes which stunned F1 last year, Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix race with Ferrari, with a best finish of fourth.
He did win a sprint race in China in March, but a double disqualification for technical infringements on Hamilton and Leclerc's cars in the Chinese Grand Prix the next day required a time-consuming rethink of Ferrari's race setups.
Leclerc is fifth in the standings, only one position ahead of Hamilton, but has five podium finishes in 2005. In Sunday's race, he'll aim to give Ferrari its first F1 win since October.
Last week, Hamilton said it was "crunch time" and revealed he's been holding a series of meetings with Ferrari executives to discuss improvements and ensure he has more of a say in how the team develops its car for the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Motor racing-Brown hails McLaren's 200th win as close to perfect
By Alan Baldwin HT Image BUDAPEST, Aug 3 (Reuters) - McLaren boss Zak Brown hailed the team's 200th Formula One win, with Lando Norris ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri in a one-two finish in Hungary on Sunday, as close to perfect. The win was Norris's fifth of the season and McLaren's seventh one-two in 14 races as well as the team's fourth in a row. "You're never perfect in a race but I think that was as close to perfect as you can get," Brown told Sky Sports television. "The drivers were awesome, pit stops amazing, strategy was great to get Lando up there, Oscar drove brilliantly. I couldn't be prouder of this racing team." Norris and Piastri crossed the finish line 0.698 of a second apart, with the pair almost touching when the Australian tried to make a move on his British teammate on the penultimate lap and locked up. Team principal Andrea Stella said it had been 'firm' racing but also fair between rivals now separated by just nine points. "We had a bit of a lock-up with Oscar but at the same time Lando left some space because he knew that Oscar would have been at the limit of braking," said the Italian. "We keep being very proud of our Lando and Oscar for racing. I think this is a great way of honouring Formula One racing. These are the value of McLaren." Despite celebrating his ninth career win, Norris said he needed to improve because he was making life too hard for himself. He won from third on the grid, after dropping to fifth at the start and then making a one-stop strategy work with Piastri on two. "It's going to be a good and tough battle probably until the end. It takes a lot out of you trying to focus so much for every single session, race, everything. So, it's going be a long second half of the season, I'm sure," he said. "There are those things I need to improve on and want to improve on. I'm not giving myself the best opportunities. Even though the results have looked great, I'm not making my life very easy for myself at the minute. "So if I can work on those things, then I'll be in a better place." McLaren are only the second team to chalk up 200 grand prix wins since the world championship started in 1950. Ferrari, yet to win this season, are on 248. Mercedes, next after McLaren, have 130. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Lewis Hamilton still down after difficult Hungarian GP
Lewis Hamilton said there was a lot going on in the background after he finished 12th in the Hungarian Grand Prix, a day after calling himself useless and suggesting Ferrari should find a replacement. The seven-times world champion cut a despondent figure, giving only terse replies to media questions about the race and his earlier words, but confirmed he would return after the August break. 'I look forward to coming back,' he said. 'Hopefully, I will be back, yeah.' On Saturday Hamilton had told reporters that 'it's me every time. I'm useless, absolutely useless' and said Ferrari 'probably need to change driver.' Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur said Hamilton, the most successful F1 driver of all time but lapped on Sunday, was demanding of everyone but most of all of himself. He said it was a tough situation to be 12th on the grid, at a circuit where he has won a record eight times and been on pole nine, when teammate Charles Leclerc qualified in first place. 'I can understand the frustration from Lewis, that this is normal,' added the Frenchman. 'So we will be back and we will perform. 'I don't need to motivate him. Honestly, he's frustrated, but not demotivated. It's a completely different story.' Leclerc ultimately finished fourth after leading for much of the race. Hamilton's former Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also spoke out strongly in the 40-year-old Briton's defence, calling his Saturday comments just 'Lewis wearing his heart on his sleeve. 'It was very raw. It was out of himself and we had it in the past when he felt that he underperformed his own expectations,' added the Austrian. 'He's been that emotional, emotionally transparent since he was a young boy, a young adult. So he's got to beat himself up. 'He's the GOAT (greatest of all time) and will always be the GOAT and nobody's going to take that away.' Wolff said also that he was sure Hamilton had unfinished business in Formula One, after losing controversially in 2021 what would have been a record eighth title, and still had what it takes. 'He shouldn't go anywhere next year,' said the Mercedes boss. 'Brand new cars, completely different to drive, new power units… I hope he stays on for many more years and certainly next year is going to be an important one.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Hungarian GP clash: Max Verstappen under FIA probe after forcing Lewis Hamilton off track
Max Verstappen's daring move during the Hungarian Grand Prix is making headlines and is now under review. According to Planet F1, on Lap 29, while in a battle for 11th, the Red Bull star took a risky overtaking move on the Brit racing driver Lewis Hamilton. Even though the pair did not make any physical contact, Hamilton was forced wide and had to go into the run-off area, costing him valuable time. Reportedly, stewards will now check if Verstappen has gained any advantage from the exchange. FIA to investigate Max Verstappen's bold move on Lewis Hamilton.(REUTERS) Max Verstappen under investigation Max Verstappen's forceful attempt to make Lewis Hamilton go off track during the Hungarian Grand Prix is under scrutiny. The incident occurred when Verstappen's car was only marginally alongside Hamilton's, leading the seven-time world champion to take evasive action. Check out the viral video below: Reportedly, Race Control quickly signaled the incident, and the FIA confirmed that an inquiry would take place post the race. Both drivers, along with team representatives from Red Bull and Ferrari, were summoned to meet the stewards at 17:15 local time in Budapest. To note, Verstappen's move helped him gain a position, but the outcome could impact his final classification. Also read: Max Verstappen confirms he is staying at Red Bull next year: 'Stop all rumours' Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton explained At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton brought their burgeoning rivalry to a near-miss on Lap 29. As they both were trying to fight their way up from the midfield, Verstappen saw an opportunity to move to the inside of Hamilton at Turn 4, and without fear or concern, quickly dove into a high-speed move. Hamilton was forced wide through the Turn's exit, allowing him to veer into the run-off area, and Verstappen snatched 11th place. While the stewards decided to look at the incident post-race, they deemed that no punishment was warranted. Verstappen went on to finish ninth. It was a moment of tension between two World Champions in a duel for more than just bad starting positions. FAQs 1. What happened between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton? Max Verstappen pushed Lewis Hamilton off track while overtaking him at the Hungarian Grand Prix. 2. Who has more F1 titles? Lewis Hamilton has more titles than Max Verstappen. 3. How is Max and Lewis's relationship? They share a competitive rivalry but have kept it professional.
