Lewis Hamilton’s mood was noticeably bleak following a tough Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, sparking renewed speculation about his future in Formula One.
After finishing 12th in Budapest, the seven-time world champion gave a series of subdued and cryptic responses that has sparked concern among fans.
Lando Norris claimed victory, while Hamilton endured a frustrating race from start to finish.
Having qualified 12th, a performance he bluntly labelled 'absolutely useless', Hamilton had little more to celebrate on Sunday, ending the race in the same position.
Lewis Hamilton’s mood was noticeably bleak following a tough Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, sparking renewed speculation about his future in Formula One
|REUTERS
Post-race, the Stevenage-born racer offered little clarity or comfort, particularly when asked to explain the comments he made after qualifying.
“When you have a feeling, you have a feeling,” he said. “There is a lot going on in the background that is not great.”
Pressed on whether the “background” issues were personal or related to his career and time at Ferrari, Hamilton declined to elaborate.
He did, however, affirm that his passion for the sport and his team hadn’t faded: “No, I still love it, I still love the team.”
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Still, the F1 icon seemed emotionally checked out after the race.
He responded to media questions with curt answers and, when asked about his quiet demeanour, replied: “I have got nothing else to say.”
With Formula One now heading into its summer break, Hamilton’s future in the cockpit — at least for the next race — seems less than certain.
He was enthusiastic about taking time away but vague when asked whether he’d be back for the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31.
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Lewis Hamilton could only finish 12th at the Hungarian Grand Prix
|GETTY
“I look forward to coming back … Hopefully I will be back, yeah,” he said.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, meanwhile, downplayed concerns about Hamilton’s commitment, attributing his tone to frustration rather than resignation.
“I don’t need to motivate him, honestly, he’s frustrated, but not demotivated,” Vasseur said.
“I can perfectly understand the situation. He’s demanding. But that’s why he’s a seven-time world champion.
"He’s demanding with the team, with the car, with the engineers, with the mechanics, with myself but first of all, he’s very demanding with himself.
"I can understand the frustration from Lewis. This is normal. He will come back.”
Toto Wolff, Hamilton’s former boss at Mercedes, also spoke in defence of his former driver’s mindset, describing his comments as emotionally honest but not alarming.
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Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur has defended Lewis Hamilton following his woes at the Hungarian Grand Prix
|REUTERS
“Lewis is wearing his heart on his sleeve. It was very raw what he said [on Saturday], he was hard on himself,” Wolff said.
“We have seen it before when he felt he had not met his own expectations. He’s been that emotionally transparent since he was a young adult.
"Lewis has unfinished business in Formula One. You ask me if he still has it? He definitely has it.”