Lewis Hamilton has openly criticised his Ferrari team following a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix, where a penalty for speeding in the pit lane saw him drop from fourth to fifth place. The outcome has further widened the gap in the Formula One title race against Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, leaving Hamilton 50 points adrift as the championship enters its annual summer shutdown.
The critical moment occurred late in the race when Hamilton was called into the pits under a virtual safety car. While this provided him with fresh tyres, it came at the cost of track position, placing him behind Max Verstappen and Antonelli. It was during this stop that the British driver incurred the five-second penalty, leading to his post-race classification change. Hamilton expressed his disapproval of the strategy, stating, "It was pretty bad. Pretty frustrating. 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." He added that he would never have stopped if it meant sacrificing track position, believing he could have secured at least third place.
This latest penalty adds to a growing list for Hamilton in recent races, including incidents at Silverstone and Spa, as well as a three-place grid drop in Hungary for impeding during qualifying. The accumulation of setbacks has clearly impacted his championship challenge, but Hamilton sees the upcoming summer break as a vital opportunity to reset. "I'll work hard to try and come back, reset," he commented. "There's still a lot of places to take. I'm going to try and make sure I don't give them any reason to give any penalties moving forwards."
Meanwhile, fellow Briton Lando Norris celebrated his first victory of the season at the Hungaroring, marking a return to form for the defending world champion and McLaren. Despite the team's struggles against a dominant Mercedes for much of the season, Norris delivered a commanding performance. He described it as one of his best drives, even suggesting he is performing at a higher level this year than during his championship-winning season. "I feel I'm doing a better job this year than I was last year," Norris stated, despite admitting the car was "still horrible to drive at times but quick."
Norris, currently 91 points behind Antonelli, acknowledges the significant challenge ahead but remains optimistic about the second half of the season, especially given the effectiveness of McLaren's recent upgrades. Both British drivers will be looking to capitalise on the break to regroup and prepare for a stronger push in the remaining 12 races, hoping to narrow the gap to Antonelli and reignite their championship aspirations.