Hamilton questions costly Ferrari pitstop decision in Hungary

Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton voiced strong doubts about Ferrari's strategic decision to pit late in the Hungarian Grand Prix, a move he believes ultimately cost him a podium finish. Hamilton crossed the line in fourth place but was demoted to fifth behind teammate Charles Leclerc after incurring a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

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I definitely don't think we should have taken a stop. The call came literally just before the pit lane entry and I didn't have time to debate it.

Before the controversial stop, which occurred during a virtual safety car period triggered by Oscar Piastri's retirement, Hamilton was running in second. "I definitely don't think we should have taken a stop. The call came literally just before the pit lane entry and I didn't have time to debate it," Hamilton told reporters. "You've got to trust the decision that has been taken but, in hindsight, my tyres were totally fine. I was probably going to lose out to Max (Verstappen), but I think I could have kept third at least. And it just opened up the door to the penalty that I got at the end."

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You've got to trust the decision that has been taken but, in hindsight, my tyres were totally fine. I was probably going to lose out to Max (Verstappen), but I think I could have kept third at least. And it just opened up the door to the penalty that I got at the end.

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur defended the team's strategy, stating it would have been unfair to ask Leclerc to increase his pace to protect Hamilton's position. Meanwhile, Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second, and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli took third, both drivers having stayed out during the virtual safety car. Hamilton, who has a record eight wins in Hungary, had hoped for a strong performance after narrowly missing pole position to Lando Norris by 0.012 seconds.

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Sometimes you just can't catch a break.

Adding to his weekend woes, Hamilton was also penalized for impeding Piastri during qualifying, resulting in a three-place grid drop. This incident followed a collision with George Russell in the previous race, for which Hamilton felt he was unfairly penalized. "Sometimes you just can't catch a break," he lamented on Instagram on Saturday, a sentiment that proved prophetic. "The last three races have been pretty bad from my side," he admitted, though he vowed to reset and focus on the positives while avoiding further penalties.

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The last three races have been pretty bad from my side.