Lewis Hamilton may have endured a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix, but his Ferrari team boss remains confident the seven-time world champion will recover strongly in the second half of the season.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari in a sensational move from Mercedes, finished 12th in Budapest after a difficult weekend. He failed to reach Q3 in qualifying and spent much of the race stuck in midfield traffic, ultimately ending where he started. His post-race comments reflected clear frustration, with the Briton questioning his own performance and even suggesting Ferrari should “bring in another driver.”
Despite the visible frustration, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur expressed full confidence in Hamilton’s resilience. Acknowledging Hamilton’s emotional reactions as part of what makes him a champion, Vasseur said he didn’t believe the driver was demotivated, just understandably disappointed. He noted that top athletes in many sports often react harshly in the heat of competition.
The situation was made more difficult by the fact that teammate Charles Leclerc started from pole position – Ferrari’s first of the season – although Leclerc, too, missed out on a podium due to mechanical issues. Vasseur pointed out that Hamilton was narrowly behind Leclerc in Q1 and just missed advancing in Q2, a sign that the margins were extremely tight.
He also highlighted that Hamilton’s race pace was solid when not caught in traffic, suggesting the underlying performance was better than the results suggested. According to Vasseur, being trapped in a DRS train limited Hamilton’s ability to show his true pace.
Leclerc echoed the team boss’s sentiments, reaffirming unity within Ferrari and backing Hamilton to bounce back. He said the team was committed to collective success and was confident the second half of the season would be more fruitful for his teammate.
Hamilton, currently sixth in the drivers’ championship and still searching for his first Ferrari podium, said he was looking forward to the upcoming summer break. With time to recharge before the Dutch Grand Prix later this month, all eyes will be on how the veteran responds to a challenging chapter in his debut Ferrari season.
