MOTOR RACING: Hamilton questions Ferrari pitstop decision after Hungarian GP

BUDAPEST — Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari’s strategy at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday after a late pitstop cost him a possible podium finish.

The Briton, who is second in the championship standings, finished fourth on track but dropped to fifth after his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc moved ahead following a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

Hamilton had been running in second place before making the pitstop during a virtual safety car period, which was triggered after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri retired with a gearbox problem.

“I definitely don’t think we should have taken a stop. The call came literally just before the pit lane entry and I didn’t have time to debate it,” Hamilton told reporters at the Hungaroring.

“You’ve got to trust the decision that has been taken, but in hindsight, my tires were totally fine. I was probably going to lose out to Max (Verstappen), but I think I could have kept third at least. And it just opened up the door to the penalty that I got at the end.”

Hamilton, now 50 points behind Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli, said the pitstop decision ultimately affected his final result.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished second behind McLaren race winner Lando Norris, while Antonelli secured third place. Both drivers stayed out during the virtual safety car period.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur defended the strategy, saying it would have been unfair to ask Leclerc to increase the gap at the end of the race just to protect Hamilton’s position.

Hamilton, a record eight-time Hungarian Grand Prix winner, entered the weekend hoping to secure his first pole position since 2023 at a circuit that appeared to suit both him and Ferrari.

However, he missed pole position by just 0.012 seconds to Norris and was later handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Piastri, damaging his chances at a track where overtaking is difficult.

“Sometimes you just can’t catch a break,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram on Saturday.

“Another weekend when I’ve been feeling great throughout all the sessions, but then it just falls apart.”

His prediction proved accurate as he finished fifth, a disappointing result compared with his expectations before the race.

“The last three races have been pretty bad from my side,” Hamilton said.

He also referred to his penalty at the previous race in Belgium, where Mercedes driver George Russell said their collision was a racing incident.

“Even the driver I collided with said it was a racing incident and they gave me a penalty. That was not needed, and that cost me a lot of points. Yesterday was unfortunate. I take responsibility, I should have looked in my mirrors.”

Hamilton said he would focus on improving for the remaining races of the season.

“I will work hard to come back, reset, and there are still lots of positives to take. But I have to make sure I don’t give them (the stewards) any reasons to give me a penalty,” he said.

-Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters