Struggling Hamilton describes his sentiment as futile following the disappointing qualifying round at the Hungarian GP
Struggles for Hamilton and Verstappen in Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen faced challenges during the qualifying session for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, with issues affecting their car performances and impacting their pace.
For Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, the qualifying session ended in Q2, with the seven-time world champion expressing frustration and self-blame. Hamilton retreated to the team's motor home with his helmet on, stating, "I'm useless." Despite Ferrari securing pole position with Charles Leclerc, Hamilton struggled to get the best from the car [1][2][4].
On the other hand, Max Verstappen and Red Bull faced a "biggest problem" with the car that significantly hampered their weekend. The four-time champion qualified only eighth, a surprising result for the usually front-running driver. Verstappen admitted that nothing seemed to be working with the car, and he felt the same issues throughout the weekend [1].
Verstappen stated that he had been outside the top 10 more than in it during the weekend, anticipating a challenging race on Sunday as he prepares to battle with a few cars. Despite the issues, Verstappen declared his intention to stay with Red Bull until 2026 [5].
The problems for Hamilton and Verstappen were not limited to qualifying. Hamilton's struggles were largely attributed to his own performance, while Verstappen and Red Bull faced broader car performance issues that limited their pace throughout the weekend. Red Bull left a towel in Verstappen's cockpit during a pitstop on Friday, which he later threw out of the car [3].
Verstappen also mentioned that Red Bull had not yet understood the problems with the car, hinting at difficulties controlling the car or optimizing its setup on the Hungaroring track [1]. His race was also involved in a contentious move on Hamilton, indicating possible complications with car handling and race conditions [3].
Despite the struggles, both Hamilton and Verstappen have found a mutual respect following their intense competition in 2021 [6]. Hamilton will need to produce a rousing performance on Sunday to remind fans of his best racing days and potentially secure his first Ferrari podium after 13 races this year [7].
This article was published by AFP in 2025.
References: [1] AFP, 2025. Verstappen struggles with car performance in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150909 [2] AFP, 2025. Hamilton: I'm useless after Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying exit. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150908 [3] AFP, 2025. Verstappen and Hamilton's Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session ends in controversy. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150910 [4] AFP, 2025. Ferrari secure pole position in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150907 [5] AFP, 2025. Verstappen to stay with Red Bull until 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150899 [6] AFP, 2025. Hamilton and Verstappen find mutual respect following intense competition. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150898 [7] AFP, 2025. Hamilton seeks first Ferrari podium after 13 races. [Online]. Available: https://www.afp.com/en/news/1150896
- The struggles faced by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying were not limited to the session itself, as both drivers had issues impacting their pace from Friday onwards, as mentioned in the AFP reports.
- In the face of challenging car performance issues, Max Verstappen, the four-time champion, qualified eighth for the race, anticipating a difficult Sunday ahead amidst issues that affected him throughout the weekend, according to AFP reports.
