Rosberg scoffs at Hamilton’s false start
Schumacher’s tribute to his father
Fredrik Hackbarth
Lewis Hamilton’s pole in Hungary isn’t even enough for the podium. The Mercedes’ superstar is frustrated, but sports director Toto Wolff contradicts him in terms of ranking.
Bitter stumbling start for Lewis Hamilton in the Hungarian Grand Prix!
After his first pole position of the season at the Hungaroring, the record world champion’s long-awaited chance of victory is gone after just a few meters on Sunday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen already pulls past the Mercedes star in turn one.
“Starting off wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had, but obviously it wasn’t as good as Max. I had a bit of wheelspin and then Max was on the inside, of course pushed me to the outside and that’s how the two of them are McLaren still over,” Hamilton describes the scene that cost him three places within a few meters.
“Lewis had one of the worst corners of his life there,” scoffs ex-rival Nico Rosberg sky.
Hamilton: First stint ‘was terrible’
The German has apparently the race in Budapest forgotten eight years ago – unlike Hamilton himself. “Today it reminded me a lot of Hungary 2015, when I was really passed through,” the Briton is annoyed about the painful repetition.
Back then, too, Hamilton fell back in front of the pole, first behind the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen as well as silver enemy Rosberg – after almost colliding with the German in the chicane and subsequent excursion through the grass, then even up to tenth position.
It’s not going to be that bad for Hamilton on Sunday, “but after the start I just didn’t have the pace to keep up with the guys. Understeer, oversteer, to be honest, the balance was pretty terrible in the first stint,” explains the Mercedes star.
Mercedes car has not become faster
“Our pace improved towards the back and the car was much more driveable,” said Hamilton. A final attack on the second Red Bull by Sergio Pérez is just not possible anymore, one and a half seconds are missing on the podium at the finish.
Correspondingly eaten up, Hamilton no longer wants to know anything about the Mercedes upswing that was still hoped for after pole.
“It just shows how good the lap was. The car didn’t get much faster. It was more than one lap this weekend, but no one knows why,” said the alarmed 38-year-old.
Looking at the special track characteristics of the Hungaroring, he is puzzled: “In principle, we have a bigger wing than most of the others, compared to Red Bull for example. But they seem to be getting more downforce from their underbody anyway.”
Hamilton grumbles after races
The frustration about the renewed setback and the obvious technical disadvantage compared to Red Bull will also be felt by the technicians on Sunday.
“I’m like a broken record, I have to keep telling the guys that we have to go in a certain direction and I would like to see that on the car this year or at least next year,” Hamilton complained after the race.
The record world champion, who was used to success, is certain: “We are far from beating Red Bull in the race and now we are behind McLaren. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Alone: Silver Arrow sports director Toto Wolff agrees with his superstar that it was “definitely not a good race for us” in Hungary, but the Austrian contradicts what Hamilton said about the pecking order
“I think we had the second fastest car today. You can see that when you look at the lap time profile and where George (Russell, catching up from 18th on the grid to fifth; ed.) came from. We just couldn’t capitalize on the potential,” said Wolff.
Distance to Verstappen “gigantic”
The conclusion of the Mercedes head of sport is accordingly: “The start played a role, but something like that can happen. Then of course you’re immediately in the bucket. I think we lost a podium and with yesterday’s qualifying (by Russell, note d. editor) two podiums.”
The discussion about the ranking behind Red Bull for Wolff anyway misses the point.
“The result doesn’t show it, but the pace in the car against the rest of the world is okay. But it’s of no use to look to the second best if the fastest is so far away,” says the Viennese.
“If you look at where Verstappen drives, the distance is gigantic. He’s the goal and that’s a long way off at the moment,” said Wolff, who found words of appreciation for Red Bull’s current dominance in the premier class.
“It’s like a field of Formula 2 cars against you formula 1but that’s the way it is: There they are at the moment and as long as they stay within the rules, they simply did the best job.”