Hamilton feels "useless" and suggests Ferrari change drivers after Leclerc's pole in Hungary

Budapest, Hungary — Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had another complicated day in the qualifying of the Hungarian Grand Prix, being eliminated before Q3 and obtaining only the 12th starting place for Sunday's race. Meanwhile, his teammate at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, surprised everyone by conquering the pole position with a brilliant final lap.

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Visibly frustrated, Hamilton did not hide his disappointment on the team radio nor in his subsequent interview with Sky Sports F1, where he called himself "useless" and made a comment that set social media ablaze:

"The team has no problem, you see the car is on pole. So we probably need to change the driver," he stated.

The Briton, who had already been knocked out of Q3 in the two Spa classifications, added in Hungary his third consecutive elimination before the final round, an unusual record for a driver with his history. Hamilton later admitted that "not once this weekend" did he feel he could aim for a better result, despite holding eight previous victories at the Hungaroring. However, he acknowledged the merit of the team:

“It was an incredible qualifying for Ferrari. Charles' pole demonstrates the great progress we have made”.

With this result, Hamilton remains sixth in the championship, behind Leclerc, who is fifth. Ferrari, on the other hand, comes to the race with renewed expectations thanks to the speed shown by the Monegasque driver on a circuit where McLaren had led all sessions up to Q3.