In a candid post-race interview after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton opened up about his performance in Formula One over the past year. The British driver admitted that he hasn’t felt at his absolute best for quite some time, attributing his struggles to an underperforming Mercedes car.
Despite securing pole position in the race at Budapest, Hamilton faced fierce competition from Max Verstappen and was overtaken by both McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the event. Although he managed to regain some ground and finish fourth, Hamilton recognized that he hasn’t been able to consistently perform at the level he desires.
“Yesterday felt like it was me being back to my best,” Hamilton shared. When pressed to elaborate, he acknowledged that both himself and the car played a role in his performance. The seven-time world champion also acknowledged that the Mercedes car lacked race pace at the Hungaroring, making it difficult for him to compete with the likes of Verstappen.
“It’s obvious we’re not the quickest, we don’t have the fastest car,” he stated. Despite the challenges, Hamilton expressed pride in his and the team’s efforts to secure pole position and outperform other competitors.
Meanwhile, race winner Max Verstappen experienced a light-hearted mishap on the podium when his trophy was accidentally knocked over by Lando Norris. Verstappen took the incident in stride and left the ceremony with a broken pink pot under his arm, sharing a humorous moment with his friend Norris during the post-race press conference.
As the season progresses, fans eagerly await to see if Hamilton can regain his top form and challenge for the championship once again. One thing is for sure, the Formula One drama continues to deliver surprises and excitement race after race.