Hamilton questions Ferrari strategy after Hungarian Grand Prix penalty
Lewis Hamilton has expressed frustration with his Ferrari team following the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he dropped points in the title battle against Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. The race saw Lando Norris secure his first victory of the season for McLaren.
Hamilton finished fourth on the track at the Hungaroring but was reclassified to fifth place after receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Max Verstappen of Red Bull finished second, with Antonelli taking third place.
Strategic Pit Stop Under Scrutiny
The penalty stemmed from a late pit stop under a virtual safety car period, which provided Hamilton with fresh tyres but resulted in a loss of track position to Verstappen and Antonelli. Hamilton was unable to regain these positions, and the pit stop also led to the penalty. He questioned the strategic decision made by his team.
“It was pretty bad. Pretty frustrating,” Hamilton stated. He added that he did not believe the stop should have been taken, noting that the call came just before the pit-lane entry, leaving no time for debate. Hamilton indicated that he would not have stopped if it meant sacrificing track position, suggesting he might have held onto at least third place.
The Ferrari driver had just moved into second place when the virtual safety car was deployed on lap 56 due to a technical issue with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. Ferrari opted to pit Hamilton for a third time while cars were running at a controlled speed. However, Verstappen, who did not pit, gained track position, and Hamilton subsequently fell behind Antonelli after rejoining the track, placing him fourth for the final laps.
To further complicate matters, Hamilton was investigated for pit-lane speeding, leading to the five-second penalty for exceeding the 80kph speed limit by 0.1kph. Unable to pass Antonelli or build a five-second lead over his teammate Charles Leclerc, Hamilton was relegated to fifth in the final standings.
Impact on Championship and Future Outlook
Hamilton now trails Antonelli by 50 points in the Formula One Drivers’ Championship as the series enters its summer break. This follows a series of penalties in recent races, including incidents at Silverstone, Spa, and a three-place grid drop in Hungary for impeding during qualifying, in addition to the pit-lane speeding penalty.
He acknowledged that the last three races have not been strong for him, citing “lots of mistakes.” Hamilton expressed optimism for Ferrari’s prospects for the remainder of the season but stressed the need to avoid further penalties. He remains Antonelli’s closest challenger in the championship.
Hamilton believes the annual shutdown has come at an opportune moment, allowing him to reset and return stronger. He is confident that the second half of the season will be more successful for him and the team, particularly given that Ferrari has reportedly been at a pace disadvantage on the straights during the first half of the season.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris, who secured his and McLaren’s first win of the year, feels he is performing at his best, even surpassing his championship-winning form from last season, despite Mercedes’ dominance in the initial 11 meetings. Norris is 91 points behind Antonelli in the championship, with 12 races remaining. He highlighted the effectiveness of significant upgrades brought by McLaren to Hungary, which contributed to their strong performance.
The Formula 1 season is scheduled to resume after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23.
Source: theguardian.com