Lewis Hamilton apologised to Ferrari after Max Verstappen caught him by surprise with a spectacular Turn 1 overtake during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Ferrari had just successfully undercut the Red Bull driver, but Max Verstappen immediately reclaimed the position, putting Lewis Hamilton back into traffic and contributing to his tyres overheating.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was proving short on satisfaction for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton. After the start, McLaren occupied the first two positions, with Oscar Piastri ahead of Lando Norris. Max Verstappen ran third throughout the opening stint and effectively acted as a roadblock for Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc dropped as low as fifth after beginning the race from the front row. The early changes represented a difficult reversal of the opportunities presented by the 2026 Hungarian GP starting grid.
Ferrari’s undercut gives Lewis Hamilton track position
The Ferrari pit wall managed to undercut Max Verstappen by bringing Lewis Hamilton in first. The seven-time world champion then produced an excellent out-lap, passing Arvid Lindblad through the Hungaroring’s twisty section and doing everything required to make Ferrari’s strategy work.
Max Verstappen stopped shortly afterwards, but the Dutchman was not prepared to surrender the position. After both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen passed Liam Lawson on the straight, the Red Bull driver completed a remarkable overtake at Turn 1 to move back ahead of the Ferrari.
The manoeuvre immediately overturned the advantage Ferrari had created through its pit-stop timing. Despite the team’s earlier confidence in its Hungarian GP race pace, Lewis Hamilton once again found himself trapped behind Max Verstappen, with the resulting traffic causing his tyres to overheat.
Lewis Hamilton apologises to Ferrari after Verstappen pass
Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the lost position over team radio and offered an immediate apology to the Ferrari pit wall. “Sorry I lost the position, I wasn’t expecting it,” the seven-time world champion said honestly after being caught out by Max Verstappen’s attack.
Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase praised Max Verstappen over the radio for the move. The Dutch driver then rubbed salt into the wound by pointing out that Lewis Hamilton had moved under braking during their battle.
Ferrari’s undercut had initially achieved its objective, while Lewis Hamilton’s strong out-lap had helped place him ahead of Max Verstappen. However, the Red Bull driver’s decisive response at Turn 1 quickly reversed the order and left the Ferrari driver facing the same traffic and tyre-management problems that had affected his opening stint.
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