Lewis Hamilton reveals he had downbeat expectations from Ferrari even before F1 Hungarian GP qualifying

Lewis Hamilton conceded to a difficult qualifying session ahead of the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, expressing that he was unable to find comfort or pace in his Ferrari throughout the weekend at Hungaroring. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, after the qualifying session on Saturday, August 2, the seven-time world champion appeared notably downbeat about his performance and the overall feel of the car.

While teammate Charles Leclerc claimed pole position, Hamilton was knocked out in Q2 and will start 12th on the grid, a disappointing result at a venue where he has historically thrived. His body language in the media pen reflected the frustration that had lingered over much of his maiden season with Ferrari.

A key issue for the Briton in 2025 has been adapting to Ferrari’s engine braking system, which differs significantly from what he was accustomed to at Mercedes. That adjustment appeared to play a role again this weekend.

Hamilton explained that he couldn’t get comfortable at any point during the weekend and struggled from the very beginning. He acknowledged that Leclerc’s pole showed the car was capable of strong performance, but felt unable to extract the same potential. He also downplayed the potential impact of the wet weather forecast, noting that he did not expect it to improve his result on Sunday.

Asked by Sportskeeda if he struggled with the braking, Lewis Hamilton said:

“Nothing's good at all.”

Asked to describe his qualifying, he replied:

“Nothing, just wasn't very good. Just not fast.”

When asked if he was struggling with the pace, he said:

“Yep.”

Asked if the weather conditions would help him in the race, Lewis Hamilton said:

“I don’t really think anything can help me right now.”

Probed further by Sportskeeda if at any point the conditions favored him to improve his result, he replied:

“Not once this weekend, no.”

Asked if he was struggling all weekend, including free practice sessions, he said:

“Yeah, yeah, all weekend.”

Asked about what he felt about Leclerc’s result from a team perspective, he replied:

“It's amazing for the team, the car is capable of being on pole. A big congratulations to Charles and the team.”

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Lewis Hamilton paints a grim picture of his form at Ferrari in the 2025 season

After a disappointing result in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton admitted he was questioning his own performance and even suggested Ferrari might be better off replacing him. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the session, the multiple world champion appeared downbeat and uncertain about his ability to deliver competitive results.

While he acknowledged that the Ferrari was capable of a pole position, evident from Charles Leclerc’s result, he felt that he personally had fallen short. His tone with broadcasters was noticeably more pessimistic than with the written media, including Sportskeeda, where he focused more on struggling with the feeling of the car throughout the weekend.

Asked by Sky Sports about his performance in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton said:

“It’s just me every time.”

Asked to clarify what he meant, he added:

“Yes, I am useless. Absolutely useless.”

He further added:

“The team has no problem. You can see the car is on pole. They probably need to change driver.”

Lewis Hamilton has yet to secure a podium in 2025, with his only win coming in the Sprint race in China. He currently sits sixth in the drivers’ standings, trailing his teammate by 30 points.

Despite the lack of podium finishes, Hamilton has amassed 109 points, while Charles Leclerc has collected 139 through multiple podiums. Ferrari hold second place in the constructors’ championship with 248 points, though they remain a significant 268 points behind reigning champions McLaren.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann made a rare appearance at the Hungaroring, spending time in the garage across all sessions. As his challenging 2025 campaign continues, Hamilton will be hoping to limit the damage and find some positives in Sunday’s race amid what has become a difficult first season in red.