Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur offered a different explanation for Lewis Hamilton’s surprising early exit from qualifying at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, attributing the veteran driver’s poor result to a tyre temperature issue rather than any deeper performance problem. Meanwhile, team-mate Charles Leclerc delivered an outstanding lap to claim pole position at the Hungaroring, highlighting the stark contrast between the two sides of the Scuderia Ferrari garage.
Saturday’s qualifying session brought frustration for Hamilton, who could only secure P12 on the grid—his lowest-ever starting position at the Hungaroring when setting a lap time. Until now, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion had never qualified lower than seventh at the Budapest circuit, except for the 2014 edition when a mechanical failure during Q1 ended his session prematurely. That anomaly aside, Hamilton’s record at this track has been stellar, with nine pole positions and eight fastest qualifying times to his name.
In contrast, Leclerc—who in the past has admitted to struggling at the Hungaroring—delivered one of his finest performances in qualifying. The 27-year-old Monegasque driver snatched pole by just 0.026 seconds from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, giving Ferrari their first pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix since Sebastian Vettel achieved the feat in 2017. Leclerc’s lap of 1:15.372 in Q3 not only demonstrated exceptional pace in cooling track conditions but also marked a personal turnaround at a circuit that has often proven difficult for him in the past.
Hamilton’s struggles in qualifying have become a growing concern for Ferrari, with the Briton also failing to reach Q3 the previous weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, where he started from the pit lane due to a power unit change. Despite recovering to finish seventh in Belgium, the trend of underwhelming qualifying sessions continued in Budapest. Following the session, Hamilton expressed deep frustration with his performance and made a pointed comment suggesting Ferrari might need to “change driver,” in light of Leclerc’s pole-winning form.
Speaking with Sky Sports F1, Hamilton placed full responsibility on himself, describing his performance as “useless” and pointing out that the team clearly had no issues given Leclerc’s result. He implied that the gap between his own result and that of his team-mate left little room for excuses.
However, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur offered a more measured analysis of the situation. In an interview with Sky Italia after qualifying, the Frenchman emphasised that Hamilton’s out-lap likely played a pivotal role in the disappointing outcome. He explained that tyre preparation had been particularly tricky in the cooler late-afternoon conditions, and that if drivers pushed too hard or too little on their out lap, the tyre temperature window could be compromised—something which may have cost Hamilton dearly.
According to Frederic Vasseur, the out-lap phase is “crucial” at the Hungaroring, and even small misjudgments in tyre warm-up can have major consequences later in the lap. He pointed out that Hamilton missed out on progressing to Q3 by just a few hundredths of a second, and while Charles Leclerc managed to find time in those same conditions, it demonstrated just how fine the margins were. The Ferrari boss acknowledged Hamilton’s frustration but believed it was important to view the performance in context, especially considering how close the field was.
The French manager also remarked that Ferrari must take lessons from the session, despite Charles Leclerc’s pole position being a positive. He noted that the team had demonstrated good consistency during long-run simulations and looked competitive relative to McLaren, particularly in terms of tyre management and race pace. He urged the team to remain focused on executing a strong strategy during Sunday’s race and not to become complacent following the high of pole position.
As the Hungarian Grand Prix approaches, Lewis Hamilton will be looking to replicate the kind of comeback he managed in Belgium. After starting at the back of the grid due to technical penalties, the 40-year-old climbed to P7 at Spa while Charles Leclerc secured a podium. A similarly strong recovery in Budapest could help restore some momentum to the Briton’s season, which has so far been marked by flashes of brilliance but also recurring qualifying setbacks.
The Hungarian Grand Prix will therefore serve as both a test and an opportunity for Ferrari to capitalise on Charles Leclerc’s pole, while also offering Hamilton the chance to turn around his recent run of qualifying difficulties.
