Lewis Hamilton Questions Ferrari Call After Missing 2026 Hungarian F1 Pole

Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari’s decision to send him out first for the final Q3 runs after he missed pole position for the 2026 Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix by 0.012 seconds.

Hamilton held provisional pole with a 0.101-second advantage over Lando Norris before the final attempts. However, he failed to improve, while Norris produced the gain required to take the leading grid position.

“We have been doing a great job all weekend. I felt solid throughout qualifying and, for some reason, we went out first, which I don’t think was the right call,” Hamilton said.

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Hamilton also revealed that grip was unavailable on the final laps for both himself and Charles Leclerc. He believed Ferrari had demonstrated competitive pace throughout qualifying but failed to convert it into pole during the decisive phase.

“The grip for some reason wasn’t there on that last lap for both Charles and me. We were quickest throughout qualifying, so it definitely got away from us,” he said.

Hamilton’s attention then turned to his Turn 1 incident with Oscar Piastri. He said he was unaware that another car was approaching before the stewards ruled that he had impeded the McLaren driver.

Hamilton subsequently received a three-place grid penalty, dropping him from second to fifth on the starting grid. The sanction further reduced his opportunity to capitalise on Ferrari’s qualifying pace in the 2026 Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix after Norris had already taken pole.