Lewis Hamilton feels his P2 at the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix could’ve been a win had it not been to the DRS problem he had in qualifying which meant he had to start the race from seventh.
The seven-time Formula 1 Champion delivered a solid drive from seventh on the grid at the Hungaroring, and kept his head down as the race came to him towards the end with Ferrari one again dropping the ball, a consecutive second place being his reward and send-off into the summer break.
Hamilton reflected on his race in Mercedes’ post race debrief, and said: “I was struggling at the beginning of the race and wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to catch up so I’m happy I was able to recover from P7.
“I had a good start, which was crucial and, bit by bit, I felt more comfortable with the balance of the car,” he continued. “The cooler temperatures in qualifying and the race seemed to work well for us.
“We made a massive step from Friday and I’m very grateful for it. If the DRS had been working yesterday, we could have been in the run for the win,” the Briton claimed.
Hamilton: An amazing way to go into the break
“I want to acknowledge my team, who have continued to push and have never given up through this tough year that we’ve had so far. It’s very special for us to have both cars on the podium today, although how the race unfolded was unlucky for George.
“It’s an amazing way to go into the break, knowing we’re clearly closing the gap and have more performance. Hopefully, we’ll bring some more into the second part of the season and start fighting with the guys in the front,” the 37-year-old concluded.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said of Hamilton’s race: “Lewis’ fight today was unbelievable, Budapest continues to be a success story for him.
“He came out of nowhere and was quicker than everyone else,” he claimed. “I think we lost the race with him yesterday with the DRS failing.
“Otherwise, we would have been able to fight at the front for the victory today,” the Austrian insisted.
YESSS LEWIS!!!! What a drive!!! P2 in Hungary!!! 👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/dPvbqTcZbZ
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 31, 2022