Lewis Hamilton believes that the third stop he made during the Hungarian Grand Prix was needless and that it essentially "opened the door" to the costly penalty he later received. While acknowledging that the infringement for exceeding the pit‑lane speed limit was his responsibility, he also admitted that a series of recent mistakes had contributed to the situation. The incident unfolded on lap 56 when a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed after a McLaren car suffered a technical failure and stopped on the side of the track. At that moment Hamilton, who had just inherited second place from Oscar Piastri, was faced with a strategic choice.
Ferrari elected to bring him in for a third tyre change while the field was circulating at the reduced VSC speed. This decision cost him dearly: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen chose to stay out and consequently jumped ahead, and when Hamilton rejoined the race he found himself behind his title rival Kimi Antonelli, who had already completed his own pit stop. The loss of track position dropped Hamilton to fourth place with only a few laps remaining. The trouble did not end there.
Shortly after re‑entering the circuit, stewards opened an investigation into Hamilton’s pit‑lane speed. The data showed that his Ferrari had exceeded the 80 km/h limit by a marginal 0.1 km/h.
The penalty was a five‑second time addition, which was applied after the checkered flag. Because Hamilton could not create a five‑second gap to his teammate Charles Leclerc, the sanction pushed him further back, leaving him fifth in the final classification.
When asked by Sky Sports F1 whether he regretted pitting under the VSC, Hamilton was candid: “Yeah, I definitely don’t think we should have taken the stop. The call came literally just before the pit lane entry and I didn’t have time to debate it – you have to trust the decision that’s been made.” He went on to explain that his tyres were still in good condition and that, although he expected to lose ground to Verstappen, he believed he could have at least held onto third place. “Then I just opened up the door to the penalty I got in the end,” he added. This penalty was Hamilton’s second steward’s sanction in as many days at the Hungaroring.
The day before, he had been handed a three‑place grid drop for impeding Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3, which relegated him from second to fifth on the Sunday grid. In addition, the seven‑time world champion had already served five‑second penalties in the two preceding races: one in Belgium for a first‑lap collision with George Russell, and another at Silverstone for a jump‑start.
Those cumulative penalties have begun to erode his points tally, allowing Antonelli to open a 50‑point lead in the Drivers’ Championship as the sport heads into its summer hiatus. Despite the setbacks, Hamilton remains Mercedes’ most consistent challenger.
He expressed optimism about Ferrari’s prospects for the remainder of the season but stressed the importance of avoiding further steward interventions. “I’m definitely optimistic,” he said.
“I’m massively grateful to the team because they have really done a great job in this first half. The last three races have not been great – lots of mistakes. A mistake at Silverstone that cost dearly, then the incident in Belgium, and now this weekend.” Former driver and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle weighed in on the controversy surrounding pit‑lane speed limits.
He likened the situation to being “a quarter of a kilo underweight” – frustrating but ultimately governed by the rulebook. Brundle noted that in Monaco, several drivers were caught exceeding the limit by as little as 0.1 km/h, prompting a wave of post‑race complaints. He explained that teams fine‑tune their pit‑lane limiters throughout a weekend, aiming for a target just below the 80 km/h ceiling.
While minor breaches may seem negligible, they can be perceived as a competitive edge, and the governing body must draw a line somewhere. “It’s painful and it’s harsh but it’s the rules,” Brundle said, emphasizing that the penalty was justified if the speed was indeed exceeded. Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar resumes after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, scheduled for 21‑23 August. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract.
Hamilton’s focus will be on delivering clean, penalty‑free races as he battles to close the points gap to his rivals and keep Mercedes in contention for the championship. The upcoming races will test his ability to balance aggression with precision, especially after a string of costly errors that have highlighted the fine margins between success and setback in modern Formula 1.