F1 REPORT: Lewis Hamilton Criticises Ferrari Strategy After Hungarian GP
Originally reported: July 26, 2026
This is a retrospective report based on events at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix and is not breaking news.
Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration with Ferrari’s race strategy after finishing fifth at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, saying the decision to make a late pit stop cost him valuable points in his Formula One championship battle with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton crossed the finish line fourth at the Hungaroring but was classified fifth after receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
McLaren’s Lando Norris won the race, with Max Verstappen finishing second and Antonelli taking third. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Hamilton.
Hamilton had been running strongly before Ferrari called him into the pits under the Virtual Safety Car. The decision gave him fresh tyres but dropped him behind Verstappen and Antonelli, leaving him unable to recover the lost positions.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton criticised the timing of the decision.
“It was pretty bad. Pretty frustrating,” Hamilton said, according to The Guardian.
He added that he did not believe Ferrari should have made the stop and explained that the call came shortly before the pit-lane entry.
“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,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton believed he could have achieved a stronger result had he remained on track.
“I would never have stopped if it meant I was giving up track position,” he said. “I may have been able to hold on to P2.”
The result increased Hamilton’s championship deficit to Antonelli. According to the original July 26 report, Hamilton entered the summer break 50 points behind the Mercedes driver.
The Ferrari driver also arrived at the break following a difficult run of penalties. The report noted previous penalties at Silverstone and Spa, as well as a three-place grid drop in Hungary for impeding during qualifying and the pit-lane speeding penalty during the race.
Hamilton said the summer shutdown provided an opportunity to reset before the second half of the campaign.
“I’ll work hard to try and come back, reset,” Hamilton said. “There’s still a lot of places to take.”
Despite the frustrations, Hamilton remained positive about Ferrari’s potential for the remainder of the season.
“We’ve got a bit more to come in the second half and we keep on pushing,” he said.
Norris Ends Winless Run
While Hamilton endured a frustrating afternoon, Norris celebrated his first victory of the 2026 season.
The McLaren driver described the performance as one of the strongest of his career, particularly in terms of extracting maximum performance from the car.
“Today I would probably say it was up there with one of my best performances,” Norris said.
Norris also praised McLaren’s upgraded car, which he felt had delivered a significant improvement at the Hungaroring.
The victory marked an important moment for Norris and McLaren after a difficult opening portion of the season. Norris said he believed he was driving at an even higher level than during his championship-winning campaign the previous year.
“I feel I’m doing a better job this year than I was last year,” Norris said.
The Hungarian Grand Prix therefore ended with contrasting fortunes for the two British drivers. Norris secured a major victory and renewed momentum, while Hamilton left Hungary frustrated by Ferrari’s strategy and another penalty.
Source: The Guardian, report by Giles Richards, published July 26, 2026.
Comments
Post a Comment