Lewis Hamilton questions Ferrari decision after lost Hungarian GP pole

Lewis Hamilton believes that Hungarian Grand Prix pole got away from him. He “didn’t deliver” when it mattered most. But, a “shock” Ferrari decision did not help.

Hamilton failed to improve on his final Q3 lap, as Lando Norris snatched pole in a breathless conclusion to qualifying. Hamilton pinned the disappointment on a “shock” Ferrari call to go out first, and a “worst lap” of the bunch from himself.

Lewis Hamilton questions Ferrari call at Hungarian GP

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Ferrari looked the team to beat through Friday practice, before reigning world champion Norris left his calling card ahead of qualifying.

At the wheel of the upgraded McLaren, Norris went head-to-head with Hamilton, who was chasing a 10th pole at the Hungaroring.

Hamilton was one of several drivers who failed to improve on his final Q3 lap. Norris was not one of them.

A 1:17.207 from Norris earned him Hungarian Grand Prix pole by 0.012s from Hamilton.

“Lando did the job and did a great lap, and I didn’t on the last one,” said Hamilton after qualifying.

“I don’t know why we went first, and that was a bit of a shock to me. I definitely wouldn’t have chosen to go first, but it is what it is.

“I had a clean out-lap. When I started my lap, already in Turn 1, I had a snap, and I was already a tenth and a half down, and it just cascaded from there.

“The last lap was the worst lap of all, and all the other laps were really good. So we clearly had the car to be on pole today, and I just didn’t deliver. That’s tough to swallow.”

Classified P2, Hamilton came under FIA investigation post-qualifying for potentially impeding Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri during Q3.

Hamilton received a three-place grid penalty.

Immediately after qualifying, Hamilton offered a downbeat assessment of his prospects on Grand Prix Sunday.

“It’s obviously a track that I love. I think we’re obviously competitive, but I think tomorrow’s going to be a hard day,” he suggested.

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Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc is due to start from second, following Hamilton’s penalty.

Two tenths down on Hamilton at the end of Q3, Leclerc conceded that he “never” had the pace to match the eight-time Hungarian GP winner.

“Today there was quite a bit of a wind change, and I don’t think I did a great job anticipating it with the car setup,” said Leclerc.

“I felt a little bit off from this morning, and then qualifying has been quite messy, to be honest.

“We’ve been a bit unlucky in Q2 with the yellow flag in the last sector, and then we were playing catch-up.

“But the pace was never to the level of Lewis. It was all about trying to maximise today, and I felt I kind of did it.”

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