Hamilton Faces Grid Penalty for Hungarian GP After Qualifying Incident
Lewis Hamilton's hopes in Hungary took a hit as he received a grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during Qualifying. Starting fifth instead of second, Hamilton is preparing for what he calls 'damage limitation' in the race.
Lewis Hamilton's Hungarian Grand Prix weekend got a little more complicated when he was penalized after Qualifying for an incident with Oscar Piastri. Originally securing second place, Hamilton was demoted to fifth on the grid after the stewards reviewed the situation and found him guilty of holding up Piastri during the Australian's flying lap.
Reflecting on the penalty, Hamilton acknowledged the challenge ahead, describing the upcoming race as one of 'damage limitation.' The seven-time World Champion expressed some frustration, noting, "We were quickest throughout Qualifying, so [pole position] definitely got away from us." He recalled the moment, unsure if he had obstructed another driver, indicating a degree of surprise at the penalty.
Hamilton is set to start behind Lando Norris, who claimed pole, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, Piastri, and Max Verstappen. Despite the setback, Hamilton remained gracious, congratulating Norris on a 'great lap' and admitting that the team's strategy may have faltered by sending him out first on the final run.
The Briton also mentioned a lack of grip on his last lap, affecting both him and Leclerc. While he acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, he maintained hope, given his affection for the Hungaroring and the competitive nature of the Ferrari team. "It’s obviously a track that I love, we’re obviously competitive, but I think tomorrow is going to be a hard day," he concluded.