Hamilton Says Ferrari 'Putting Pieces of the Puzzle Together' Ahead of Hungarian GP
Lewis Hamilton expressed pride in Ferrari's progress over the past twelve months, saying the team has brought together 'a lot of the pieces of the puzzle' as they head into the Hungarian Grand Prix.
- 12 months
What Happened
Lewis Hamilton met the media in the Scuderia Ferrari HP hospitality at the Hungaroring ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, reflecting on the team's recent progress, his special relationship with the circuit, and Ferrari's approach to the final race before the summer break. He described the track as demanding late braking and combined braking towards the apex, comparing it to a go-kart experience.
“It's a circuit that demands late braking and a lot of combined braking towards the apex. It's quite go-kart-esque in a Formula 1 car and I really love driving here. I think the more you love a track, the better you tend to perform.”
Looking back at the past twelve months, Hamilton spoke positively about the journey he and the team have made together. He said he is proud of everyone in the team and also proud of the work he has done on himself, adding that they have brought a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together and now arrive with a great package. He emphasized that the team has developed well and is moving in the right direction.
“I'm really proud of everyone in the team and also proud of the work I've done on myself. We've brought a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together and now we arrive here with a great package. We've developed well as a team and we're moving in the right direction.”
Speaking about expectations heading into Budapest, Hamilton remained cautious. He said the goal every weekend is simply to maximise what they have, noting that they were closer to the front than expected at two circuits where they thought they would struggle, which is encouraging. He highlighted good consistency over the last few races and the need to keep extracting everything from each weekend.
“Every weekend the goal is simply to maximise what we have. We were closer to the front than we expected at two circuits where we thought we'd struggle, which is really encouraging. Over the last few races, we've shown good consistency and we just have to keep extracting everything from each weekend.”
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Ferrari enters the Hungarian Grand Prix with positive momentum after recent strong performances. In the Belgian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc finished second and Lewis Hamilton fourth, marking the team's best result in recent races. The Hungarian GP is the 11th round of the season and the final race before the summer shutdown.
- Ferrari Heads to Hungarian GP as Last Race Before Summer Break
- Leclerc second, Hamilton fourth in Belgian Grand Prix as Antonelli wins
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Hamilton's comments signal growing confidence within Scuderia Ferrari after a year of development. For fans, it suggests the team may be closing the gap to the front-runners. The Hungarian GP, the final race before the summer break, is a chance for Ferrari to consolidate recent gains.
Terms in This Story
- Apex
- The point on a racing track where the car is closest to the inside of a corner, often the optimal line.
- Combined braking
- Braking while simultaneously turning the car, requiring precise balance to avoid loss of control.
- Late braking
- Braking later than usual into a corner, allowing higher entry speed.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.