Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton struggled significantly with the balance of his car during the first two practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. Despite performing reasonably with a fifth and sixth place in the two sessions, Hamilton was consistently slower than his teammate Charles Leclerc, trailing by nearly half a second in FP1 and three tenths in FP2, revealing ongoing difficulties.
Inconsistent Car Balance Poses Difficult Problems
Hamilton described the day as particularly frustrating due to the unstable handling of his car. He said,
“Today was not a good day for me. Big, big struggle with the balance of the car,”
and added,
“A lot different to the previous years I’ve been here.”
Known as a track specialist, Hamilton holds the record for most pole positions (nine) and most wins (eight) at this circuit, making his current predicament unusual.
The Ferrari driver explained that the car’s balance shifted unpredictably through corners, making it difficult to manage.
“So you can’t say it’s just understeer, you can’t just say it’s oversteer. It’s… just far from being on rails, and very, very out of balance. But I think it’s probably something to do with maybe high temperatures or something, so we’re going to try and figure that out for tomorrow,”
Hamilton said.
Team Efforts and Hamilton’s Doubt About Grid Position
Hamilton and his team attempted different car setups between the sessions to address the balance issues, but the results remained inconsistent. Assessing his ability to challenge for a front-row starting position behind the dominant McLarens, Hamilton was candid in his expectations. He noted,
“Charles has been quick today, so he’s generally been happy with the car. For me, I’m quite far off, so I highly doubt it.”
Implications for Ferrari and Hamilton’s Upcoming Performance
Hamilton’s difficulties with the Ferrari car on a circuit where he has historically excelled highlight ongoing challenges for the team’s setup under specific conditions, possibly related to temperature. The unresolved balance issues could impact his qualifying performance and race pace in Hungary, marking a significant hurdle as he aims to rebound in the coming sessions. With McLaren drivers setting a strong pace, Hamilton and Ferrari will need to find solutions quickly to improve competitiveness.
