Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc expressed his excitement after claiming pole position for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton had a contrasting reaction, labeling himself “useless” following his disappointing exit in Q2. Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One world champion, took responsibility for not progressing further, stating, “The team has no problem… So they probably need to change driver.”
This recent qualifying struggle adds to Hamilton’s challenges this season, particularly after he was eliminated in Q1 during the previous race in Belgium. Leclerc, who qualified third in that race, maintained a narrow gap of just 0.015 seconds to Q3. In Hungary, Leclerc and Hamilton’s times were separated by 0.247 seconds, with Hamilton ending up in 12th place, expressing frustration over the radio.
Despite having shown promising pace in practice sessions—placing fifth in FP1, sixth in FP2, and fourth in FP3—Hamilton felt he could not contend for a top qualifying spot throughout the weekend. When asked if he was in contention for a better result, he bluntly responded, “Not once this weekend,” and emphasized that there were no issues with the car’s performance.
The lack of qualifying success is echoed in Hamilton’s overall performance this season with Ferrari, which has not met expectations, especially compared to McLaren’s strong showing. Despite this, Hamilton has been closing the gap to Leclerc since May, with their qualifying differences shrinking to about a tenth on average, although Leclerc still leads their head-to-head record 12-5.
Hamilton has yet to achieve a race victory this season, with his best finish being fourth place. Meanwhile, Leclerc has secured podium finishes five times, most recently placing third at Spa. As they head into a challenging Hungarian GP—and with Hamilton needing to navigate through the field from sixth place—Leclerc is well-positioned to potentially increase his podium tally.
Interestingly, Hamilton does have a significant history at the Hungaroring, holding the record for the most wins and the most pole positions at this venue. Despite the tough qualifying result, there remains a glimmer of hope for Hamilton to turn things around during the race itself.
With the unpredictability of F1, fans remain eager to see if Hamilton can leverage his experience to overcome the qualifying setback and capitalize on any opportunities that arise during the race.