Ferrari VSC strategy costs Lewis Hamilton two places before Hungary penalty. Lewis Hamilton loses two places as Ferrari VSC gamble backfires in Hungary.

Ferrari’s VSC strategy cost Lewis Hamilton two positions and destroyed his Hungarian Grand Prix podium hopes after Oscar Piastri stopped with a technical problem on lap 56. Ferrari called both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc into the pits during the resulting Virtual Safety Car period, dropping Lewis Hamilton behind Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli before a pit-lane speeding offence brought an additional five-second penalty.

The costly sequence transformed a valuable opportunity for Ferrari into a major sporting setback. Lewis Hamilton had risen to second following Oscar Piastri’s retirement, but the decision to fit Soft tyres left the seven-time world champion fourth behind two of his principal rivals. The consequences were particularly significant for the championship battle.

Ferrari VSC strategy backfires after Oscar Piastri stops

Oscar Piastri had been running in second position when a technical problem brought his race to an end on lap 56 of 70. The McLaren driver stopped shortly after Kimi Antonelli had completed his second pit stop, prompting Race Control to activate the Virtual Safety Car.

Ferrari responded by attempting a double pit stop with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. However, the team appears to have miscalculated the time available. Lewis Hamilton, who had inherited second place following Oscar Piastri’s retirement, lost two positions after switching to Soft tyres.

Max Verstappen moved ahead, while Kimi Antonelli also reclaimed track position despite having stopped immediately before the VSC period. The outcome proved especially costly given the wider Ferrari-Mercedes battle at the Hungaroring.

Safety Car line puts Kimi Antonelli ahead of Lewis Hamilton

The contest between Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli was decided by centimetres. When Lewis Hamilton emerged from the pits, the Ferrari initially appeared to be ahead of the Mercedes belonging to the World Championship leader.

Television footage subsequently showed that the number 12 Mercedes had crossed the Safety Car line before Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari. Kimi Antonelli was therefore permitted to resume racing ahead of his principal championship rival when the green flag was shown.

It was a major advantage for Kimi Antonelli, but one created with Ferrari’s assistance. The team chose not to leave either of its drivers on track, instead trusting that the performance advantage of the Soft tyres would be sufficient against the new Hard tyres fitted to Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton receives five-second speeding penalty

The full extent of Ferrari’s setback became clear a few minutes later. During the additional pit stop, Lewis Hamilton exceeded the pit-lane speed limit. The stewards consequently handed the Ferrari driver a five-second time penalty.

It was Lewis Hamilton’s fourth penalty across the last three Grands Prix and his fifth in the previous six rounds. The Ferrari driver had already admitted that remaining positive was difficult after three consecutive penalised weekends before receiving this latest sanction in the race.

Ferrari’s strategic choice ultimately delivered no reward. A weekend that had offered the opportunity to gain important championship points against Mercedes instead ended in a painful reversal, with Kimi Antonelli gaining track position and Lewis Hamilton losing a potential podium through the late VSC sequence.