Vasseur offers probable reason behind Hamilton qualifying set-back

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur believes tyre preparation played a critical role in Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing Q2 elimination during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix – describing the set-back as a reminder of how fine the margins are currently in Formula 1.

Hamilton, a record eight-time pole winner at the Hungaroring, suffered his worst-ever qualifying result at the Budapest track, ending up 12th and visibly dejected.

After the session, the seven-time world champion described himself as “useless", in a brief and downbeat interview, even suggesting that “Ferrari should change its driver”.

But Vasseur, speaking after the Scuderia’s own rollercoaster session that ended with Charles Leclerc grabbing pole position, offered a more analytical take – pointing to how easily performance can unravel if the tyres aren’t handled perfectly on the out lap.

“Always difficult to manage the out lap”

Speaking to Sky Italia after qualifying, Vasseur elaborated on the critical role of tyre preparation.

“We know that the out lap is crucial. If you light up the tyres in Turn 1, you risk it at the end of the lap or you slide too much.

“Hamilton went out in Q2, Charles was just a few hundredths of a second away [from not making the cut]. Lewis was just a few hundredths of a second away [from Q1], but it’s always difficult to manage the out lap.

“Of course, he’s frustrated because he only missed the lap in Q2. It’s a shame.”

Hamilton’s early exit mirrored the fate that nearly befell Leclerc, who indeed scraped through Q2 by just a tenth of a second, before ultimately finding the sweet spot with his tyres in the final shootout.

Navigating Narrow Margins

Vasseur acknowledged that Leclerc’s qualifying success came despite similar tyre struggles earlier in the session — again underlining just how sensitive the conditions were.

“We’ve always struggled to get the tyres into the right temperature window this year, and in Q2 we were almost out – we made it through by just a tenth,” Vasseur said.

“In the end, Charles managed to get the tyres in the right window. It’s all very sensitive – the gap between first and tenth is small. In the end, we’re all right on the limit with the tyres.”

Amid changing track conditions, Ferrari’s pace improved dramatically in Q3, although not without tension. Leclerc trailed both Aston Martins after the first runs before delivering a stunning final lap to edge out the field.

“There were lots of ups and downs, but then we were stronger than expected,” Vasseur reflected. “We have to remember how tough the session was, and we need to understand what happened so we can improve in the future.”

• Read also: Hamilton brands himself ‘useless’ – Ferrari ‘needs to change driver'

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Vasseur said Ferrari must remain focused.

“We have to learn from this. The result is OK, but we can’t rest on our laurels. In the race simulation, we were consistent [and] similar to McLaren. Let’s focus on ourselves, managing the tyres and coming up with a good strategy, and everything will be fine.”

As for Hamilton, his frustration may be justified – but in a session where just hundredths separated success and failure, Vasseur’s comments underline that the issue may have come down to one of the smallest yet most vital details in qualifying: tyre prep.

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