Fifth in Hungary, Lewis Hamilton regrets a new penalty that ruined his chances of a podium. The Briton even thinks Ferrari could have aimed for victory.
Read more Max Verstappen surprised by his podium: «I didn’t expect to finish second»
The Hungarian Grand Prix once again left a bitter taste for Lewis Hamilton. Already penalized three places on the grid for impeding Oscar Piastri in qualifying, the Ferrari driver received an additional sanction during the race.
The seven-time world champion was penalized five seconds for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane… by only 0.1 km/h.
This sanction ultimately dropped him from fourth to fifth place, behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.
Upon learning of the stewards’ decision on the radio, Hamilton did not hide his annoyance.
“They’re handing out penalties left and right!”
“We shouldn’t have stopped”
Hamilton also believes that this penalty originated from a strategic decision he would not have made himself.
According to the Briton, Ferrari should not have taken advantage of the Virtual Safety Car to make a final stop.
“Yes, I really think we shouldn’t have stopped. The call came just before the pit entry and I didn’t have time to discuss it. We had to trust the team’s decision.”
In hindsight, he believes his tires were still performing well enough to finish the race.
“My tires were in perfect condition. I probably would have lost to Max, but I think I would have at least kept third place. And, obviously, that stop ultimately cost me that penalty.”
Read more Kimi Antonelli savors a valuable third place: «We limited the damage»
Ferrari had the potential to win
Beyond the result, Hamilton believes that Ferrari had a car capable of competing with McLaren this weekend.
The Briton regrets leaving Budapest with only a fifth place when the SF-26 showed excellent performance levels.
“Yes, I think we could have won. I’m frustrated and disappointed to leave with so few points when the car was performing very well and the team had done an excellent job. The last few races have cost us dearly.”
The Ferrari driver acknowledges, however, that not all his difficulties are attributable to his team.
Hamilton admits his mistakes
With this new sanction, Hamilton now totals four penalties in the last three race weekends.
The Briton admits that he absolutely must regain more consistency in the second half of the season.
“Every time I give the stewards an opportunity, they give me a penalty.”
Hamilton takes his share of responsibility for this bad streak.
“It’s not perfect on my side. I have to work hard to do better in the second part of the season. My last three races haven’t been very good. I’ve made several mistakes, at Silverstone, in the previous race and again this weekend. I’ve received a lot of penalties and I have to make sure I don’t give them any more opportunities to sanction me.”
Fifth in Hungary, Hamilton also sees Kimi Antonelli consolidate his first place in the championship. The Mercedes driver now has a 50-point lead over the Briton heading into the summer break.
Read more Lando Norris thought «it was over» before turning around the Hungarian Grand Prix