Sam Bird saw Lewis Hamilton wasn’t ‘comfortable’ with key issue in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying shambles

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Lewis Hamilton produced his worst-ever qualifying result for a Hungarian Grand Prix this Saturday, as the Ferrari star could only manage 12th place and bowed out in Q2.

It also marks the first time that the 40-year-old has not advanced into Q3 except for in 2014 when the Briton failed to post a single lap time due to a power unit failure. Hamilton had, at worst, previously qualified for a Hungarian GP in P7 for Mercedes in 2022 when he set a lap.

Hamilton even boasts nine pole positions at the Hungaroring, and was fastest in qualifying in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023. The seven-time F1 champion inherited pole in 2007 after Fernando Alonso’s penalty for purposely impeding Hamilton in qualifying.

Ferrari were fastest in qualifying for the 2025 Hungarian GP, though, as while Hamilton only secured P12, his teammate Charles Leclerc put his SF-25 on pole position. The Monegasque has never previously liked the Hungaroring, yet he has scored Ferrari’s first pole this season.

Lewis Hamilton didn’t look comfortable under braking in qualifying for the Hungarian GP

Leclerc’s pole for the 2025 Hungarian GP marks Ferrari’s first at the Hungaroring since 2017, when Sebastian Vettel went on to win the race. Hamilton finished fourth for Mercedes that season from P4 on the grid, with the Briton hitting the chequered flag 12.885s off the lead.

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Hamilton will be dreaming about a P4 finish in the 2025 Hungarian GP, which would match his best result since joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 F1 season. And Sam Bird saw signs of struggle from the Stevenage-born star early on in Q2 before the Ferrari ace departed early.

Bird told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2 (2/8, 15:28): “Lewis Hamilton, again in qualifying, that last lap looked a little bit scrappy, not his best. He hasn’t looked at home in that car, hasn’t looked comfortable with the end of braking.”

Lewis Hamilton was 0.247s slower than 2025 Hungarian GP polesitter Charles Leclerc in Q2

Hamilton always impressed Valtteri Bottas during qualifying sessions at the Hungarian GP as teammates at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021. The Finn especially admired the Briton’s ability to ‘nail’ the final corners, as well as his ability to manage his tyre temperatures in the races.

Ferrari will now have to hope that Hamilton can be a tyre whisperer this Sunday to deliver a result in the 2025 Hungarian GP after qualifying just P12. He recorded a 1:15.702 lap time in Q2 to miss out on the top-10 shootout by 0.015 seconds to Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.

Leclerc posted a 1:15.455 in Q2 for the sixth-fastest lap time, 0.247s quicker than Hamilton’s time. The Monegasque then improved his lap to a 1:15.372 in Q3 to snatch pole position off McLaren, with Oscar Piastri 0.026s slower for second and Lando Norris 0.041s slower for P3.