Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Formula 1, Hungarian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc
Ryan Smart
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Formula 1, Hungarian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc
Ferrari have issued a response to Lewis Hamilton amid the seven-time world champion claiming that he should be 'replaced' by the team.
Hamilton endured a disappointing qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, being knocked out in the second session.
He will therefore start Sunday's race from 12th position on the grid.
His Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, secured a surprise pole position ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
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Hamilton's major strength this season has been in his race performances, but his lack of consistency in qualifying means the seven-time world champion often has it all to do on the Sunday.
Leclerc's incredible lap aside, however, the 2025 Ferrari is not a regular contender for poles or wins and the Scuderia have struggled to compete with McLaren and, at times, Mercedes and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
But after qualifying in Budapest, Hamilton put the full blame on his own performance and gave a worrying interview to Sky Sports F1's Rachel Brookes.
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He said: "It's just me every time [in qualifying]. I'm useless. Absolutely useless.
"The team have no problems. You see the car's on pole. So they probably need to change driver."
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur made his thoughts clear on Hamilton's form both before and after qualifying.
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Prior to the session, he was asked by Sky Sports whether Hamilton could recapture his form in the upcoming races, to which he replied: "I think it was on Sky that last week you said he had a fantastic race, no?"
The 40-year-old qualified in 16th place for last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, before finishing seventh.
And at the British Grand Prix, Hamilton brought his Ferrari home in fourth, while Leclerc - who has largely had the better of the inter-team battle - made costly errors in the changeable conditions and finished 14th.
While Saturday in Hungary clearly belonged to Leclerc, Vasseur did not put Hamilton's disappointing exit down to driver error on the lap itself, instead placing a collective blame on the management of his out lap.
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"We know that the out lap is crucial," he told Sky Italia (via formula1.it). "If you lighten the tyres in turn one, you risk it at the end of the lap or you slide too much.
"Hamilton went out in Q2, Charles was just a few hundredths of a second away. Lewis was just a few hundredths of a second away, but it's always difficult to manage the out lap.
"Of course, he's frustrated because he only missed the lap in Q2. It's a shame. We have to learn from this."