Lewis Hamilton, an eight-time winner at the Hungaroring, is heading into the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix with mixed feelings. Starting from fifth place, the Mercedes driver is worried about the weather forecast, which predicts bright sunshine and temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius. These conditions may not favor his car, casting a shadow over his race day.
Hamilton, who recently won the British Grand Prix, finds himself in a tough spot as he struggles with the ground effect dynamics of the current F1 cars. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff echoed Hamilton’s concerns, criticizing the team’s performance as a ‘total underperformance’ during the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. Wolff expressed his frustration, noting that Hamilton’s fifth place and George Russell’s 17th place were far from the team’s expectations.
Russell described his qualifying as a ‘disaster,’ impaired by a mistake in his first run and insufficient fuel for a faster lap. Hamilton also had a mixed session, finishing 0.627 seconds behind pole-sitter Lando Norris. These challenges are compounded by Hamilton’s struggles to adapt to the ‘ground effect’ cars introduced in 2022, which require a driving style that he finds difficult.
Hamilton candidly discussed his frustrations, stating that the hotter the weather, the worse it is for his car. ‘The hotter it gets, the worse it is for us,’ he said. ‘When we started qualifying, it was cooler and we did a lot better. Then when it dried out and got hotter, it wasn’t ideal.’ He acknowledged that cars like Red Bull and McLaren, which seem to handle like they’re ‘on rails,’ have a significant advantage.
As Hamilton gears up for the race, his outlook remains cautious. Despite his team’s efforts, the hot conditions might prove too challenging. He admits that while the car’s fundamental setup is strong, the performance drops as temperatures rise. This sentiment is shared by Wolff, who admitted, ‘We didn’t do a very good job of finding that happy medium for Lewis where the car had optimum grip.’
George Russell, who failed to advance past Q1, was visibly upset, calling his session a ‘total disaster.’ Both he and Wolff agreed on the need to review what went wrong. Russell admitted, ‘At the beginning, it was my fault. I didn’t think it would rain again, and I thought the track would get faster.’ This miscalculation, along with fuel issues, prevented him from making a significant impact.
Overall, the Mercedes team faces an uphill battle at the Hungarian Grand Prix. With the race day forecasted to be hot, Hamilton and Russell will need to overcome their car’s limitations and find a way to stay competitive. Their determination and resilience will be tested, as they aim to salvage strong results despite the challenging conditions.
Hamilton’s candid admissions and the tough qualifying session paint a challenging picture for Mercedes at the Hungarian Grand Prix. As race day approaches, the team must navigate both the hot weather and the performance limitations of their cars. The resilience and adaptability of both drivers will be crucial as they aim to turn their fortunes around in this demanding race.
