Lewis Hamilton experienced a new low following the qualifying round in Hungary. While his teammate Charles Leclerc – against all odds – secured pole position, the British star failed to advance beyond Q2, finishing with the twelfth fastest time. After the session, Hamilton suggested that Ferrari should consider replacing him. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was confronted with these remarks and offered Hamilton some reassurance.
After a disastrous weekend in Spa, where Lewis Hamilton failed to advance beyond the first round in both the sprint qualifying and the regular qualifying, his slump continued in Hungary. The 40-year-old driver had to settle for the twelfth starting position. “It’s on me, every single time,” Hamilton lamented to Sky Sports afterwards. “I’m just useless. The team has no issues – the other car is on pole,” he referred to teammate Leclerc. “They just need to replace their driver,” was his painful conclusion.
Toto Wolff, Hamilton’s former team boss, was later confronted with these remarks. Should the seven-time world champion never have moved to Ferrari? “I don’t know,” Wolff responded on Channel 4. “I’ve always said that Lewis is still an extremely dominant driver on a good weekend. Moreover, he has always been at his best in the second half of the season. We should never write him off,” the Austrian assured.
