Ferrari boss hints at reason behind Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare Hungarian GP qualifying

Ferrari F1 team principal Frederic Vasseur suggested that tyre preparation on the out lap may have been a key factor behind Lewis Hamilton’s shock Q2 exit in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton endured another nightmare qualifying session at the Hungaroring, leaving him 12th on the grid for Sunday’s race.

It’s Hamilton’s worst qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix - a circuit he’s often thrived at over the years.

Hamilton delivered an abject interview after qualifying, describing himself as “useless”.

Vasseur offered a more upbeat outlook when reflecting on Hamilton’s struggles.

Speaking to Sky Italia, Vasseur said: “We know that the out lap is crucial.

“If you lighten the tyres in Turn 1, you risk it at the end of the lap or you slide too much.

“Hamilton went out in Q2, Charles was just a few hundredths of a second away. Lewis was just a few hundredths of a second away, but it’s always difficult to manage the out lap. Of course, he’s frustrated because he only missed the lap in Q2. It’s a shame.

“We have to learn from this. The result is OK, but we can’t rest on our laurels. In the race simulation, we were consistent [and] similar to McLaren. Let’s focus on ourselves, managing the tyres and coming up with a good strategy, and everything will be fine.”

“Sensitive” tyre window key to Leclerc pole

Charles Leclerc’s pole came as a shock, as he narrowly made it into Q2.

It was a similar story in Q3, with Leclerc behind both Aston Martins after the first runs.

Vasseur noted the importance of getting the tyres into the correct working window.

“We’ve always struggled to get the tyres into the right temperature window this year, and in Q2 we were almost out - we made it through by just a tenth,” he explained.

“In the end, Charles managed to get the tyres in the right window. It’s all very sensitive - the gap between first and tenth is small. In the end, we’re all right on the limit with the tyres.

“There were lots of ups and downs, but then we were stronger than expected. We have to remember how tough the session was, and we need to understand what happened so we can improve in the future.”