A Harsh Blow Amid Ferrari’s Dominance

The Hungarian Grand Prix turned bitter for Lewis Hamilton, who failed to reach Q3 and ended up 12th in a weekend that looked promising for Ferrari. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, secured pole position, highlighting the contrast in performance and deepening Hamilton’s frustration.

“I’m completely useless. The team is not at fault. You’ve seen the car is on pole. Maybe what they need is to change the driver,” said Hamilton, visibly upset, speaking to the press. The performance gap within the team has raised eyebrows, especially given the high standards expected from the seven-time world champion.

The Driver Takes Full Responsibility Without Excuses

Far from blaming technical issues or the car, Hamilton took full responsibility for the poor result: “I’m absolutely useless,” he reiterated. Later, speaking with F1 TV, he doubled down on his critique: “I drove terribly; it is what it is.”

This Q2 elimination follows a similar scenario at the Belgian Grand Prix, where Hamilton didn’t make it past Q1. However, on that occasion, he recovered from a pit lane start to finish seventh and earned the Driver of the Day award. This time at Hungaroring, there was no comeback to soften the disappointment.

Hamilton’s mental state is in sharp contrast with Leclerc’s strong form, putting additional pressure on his place within Ferrari. While no one at the team has questioned his future publicly, the Briton’s own words may signal a turning point in his storied career.