Lewis Hamilton returns to the Hungaroring this weekend, the site of one of the most challenging moments in his career, aiming to demonstrate that he can still perform at the highest level.
Last year, the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend was described by Hamilton as a "career nadir," where he qualified 12th and felt "completely useless." This year, practice data on Friday offered a more promising outlook, with Hamilton topping the timesheets, ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc by 0.148 seconds. "I’m really proud of everyone in the team and of myself for digging us out of the hole I was in," Hamilton stated upon his return to Budapest.
His performance this season has shown an upturn, notably with a victory in Barcelona in June, his first since joining Ferrari. This season marks his first campaign with Ferrari, driving a car better suited to his style. He is currently 45 points behind Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old protégé who replaced him at Mercedes, heading into the 11th round of the season.
Despite his improved form, Hamilton is still seeking to consistently reach the weekly peaks required to secure an eighth world championship. While he outscored Leclerc in the five races leading up to Silverstone, Leclerc has held the advantage since then, winning the British Grand Prix and the most recent race in Spa, where he also secured pole position.
The Hungaroring, with its twisty layout and a single substantial straight, is considered a track that plays to Ferrari's strengths in aerodynamic efficiency through corners. Data from the first practice session showed Leclerc fastest, but Hamilton turned the tables in the second session. In contrast, the Mercedes drivers, Antonelli and George Russell, struggled in practice, finishing fifth and 13th respectively. This performance casts doubt on their streak of securing pole position in every race this season.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin has introduced a series of upgrades for the Hungarian Grand Prix after what team designer Adrian Newey described as a "complete nightmare" season. Early practice sessions showed some improvement, but Lance Stroll experienced a suspension failure, and Fernando Alonso finished 19th. Newey indicated that "respectability" is the team's mid-term target. Newey also addressed rumors of Christian Horner potentially joining Aston Martin, stating, "I can’t comment further. All I can say is we are happy with our senior management team."