Ralf Schumacher fired a harsh rebuke at Ferrari after the Maranello car slid from Hamilton’s P2 bid to fifth at the Hungaroring.
Early Pace, Lost Momentum
During Friday’s free practice, the Ferraris clocked a half‑second advantage over rivals, yet the advantage vanished in qualifying. Lewis Hamilton seemed poised for pole before a penalty forced him to start fifth, elevating Charles Leclerc to P2.
Stewart‑Led Penalties Shadow the Race
Hamilton’s race at the Hungaroring saw him battling Kimi Antonelli for third. When he pitted under a virtual safety car, he emerged in third only to relinquish the spot, hoping to dodge a repeat of this penalty. The stewards later issued a five‑second penalty for a pit‑lane speed breach of 0.1 km/h.
Schumacher’s Unfiltered Verdict
During the Sky Sports Germany post‑race debrief, Schumacher made no concessions. “It’s a major disappointment,” he stated. “They were half a second faster than everyone else on Friday, then failed to sustain or improve.” He added criticism of “wrong‑time” decisions from team strategy and hinted that next week’s Italy test might echo similar gaps.
Impact on Championship Standings
Hamilton’s classification slipped to fifth after the combined penalties, giving him limited points while other drivers capitalised on the chaos. The outcome dented Ferrari’s pre‑season hopes and raised questions about race‑day resource deployment.
Will Strategy Bug Reappear?
Ferrari’s performance dip at the Hungarian round could signal a need for strategic recalibration. The team will need to fine‑tune their risk management before Italy, where the stakes are already mounting.
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