Lewis Hamilton faces a challenging race at the Hungarian Grand Prix, acknowledging that his car may not match the raw speed of McLaren or Red Bull in the hot conditions.
Despite being optimistic about the race, Hamilton is realistic about his car’s limitations. Starting in the fifth position on the Hungaroring grid, he aims to extend Mercedes’ winning streak. However, Friday’s sweltering heat made the car perform poorly, reminiscent of previous issues in similar conditions. Recent upgrades did not ease Hamilton’s woes, and he described the car as difficult to handle in the heat.
As the weather cooled and track conditions improved on Saturday, Hamilton saw a slight upturn in performance. A wet start to the qualifying was in his favor, allowing him to comfortably move into the second phase. Yet, as the track dried, he barely made it to Q3, qualifying fifth by a mere 0.01 seconds. He noted, ‘It started well. When qualifying started, it was a bit colder, and it was still a bit wet. Those are clearly good conditions for me personally. The car behaved well, but as it got drier and warmer, we fell out of the right window.’
Hamilton is pragmatic about his chances against McLaren and Verstappen. He acknowledges that overtaking them will require taking advantage of their potential mistakes rather than matching their pace. ‘I’m still looking forward to the race. It’s going to be a very tough race. Our long run was OK, but not very fast. I wouldn’t say we were as fast as the McLaren or the Red Bull. On raw speed, we can’t beat them. If I can somehow keep up with them, I will. It’s also about track position, so hopefully I can keep up with them and pounce if they make mistakes,’ the seven-time champion expressed.
As the race approaches, Hamilton stands at eighth in the Drivers’ Championship, narrowly trailing his teammate George Russell, who starts from 17th. The competition is fierce, and the Briton needs to leverage every opportunity if he hopes to climb higher in the rankings.
Lewis Hamilton approaches the Hungarian GP with a mixture of determination and realism. While his Mercedes might struggle against faster cars in the heat, his strategic mindset focuses on capitalizing on rivals’ errors. Regardless of the obstacles, Hamilton’s experience and tactical acumen could still offer an exciting spectacle for fans.
