F1 News: Hamilton won’t hang it up in the middle of the season

(GMM) Fred Vasseur insists Lewis Hamilton will not walk away from Ferrari or F1 mid-season despite spiraling speculation after Hungary.

After qualifying, Hamilton said he was “useless” and Ferrari should get “another driver.” Asked if it was a joke, he replied after the race on Sunday: “No, no, I was completely serious.”

To Sky Italia after Sunday’s race, he added: “I had no expectations for the season, but so far it’s been much worse than any other season I’ve had. Did I mean what I said? It’s a feeling.

“There’s a lot going on in the background that’s not great. I’m just looking forward to not working for a while.”

Team boss Vasseur responded: “No, no, he will definitely continue driving for us.

“We spoke yesterday afternoon, yesterday evening, and this morning. I understand Lewis’s reaction. Lewis is very demanding of the team and me. But most of all of himself. He is a seven-time world champion because he has this attitude of pushing everyone, especially himself.

“He’ll come back, he’ll be fighting again.”

DAZN commentator Antonio Lobato said: “He’s hit rock bottom. He’s the worst Lewis Hamilton we’ve ever seen in terms of motivation; he’s said some very harsh things about himself.

“He obviously has to dig himself out of this hole. I don’t know if he can do it alone; he might need help.”

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks Hamilton might be serious about retiring. But F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “I’m pretty sure he will show the reason why he is here.

“He wants to achieve his eighth title, and he will triumph again.”

Bernie Ecclestone, in Hungary, joked: “Lewis is more likely to win an eighth title than that,” referring to rumors he and Christian Horner could buy into Alpine.”

Toto Wolff, Hamilton’s former long-time boss at Mercedes, added: “Lewis never hides his feelings. He doubts himself, that has happened before. But he’s the greatest driver of all time. He’ll always be the greatest driver of all time, and no one can take that away from him.

[Editor’s Note: Hamilton no longer has the 50-hp Mercedes advantage that propelled him to all his championships, wins and poles. In George Russell and now in Charles Leclerc, he finally has teammates that are equally, if not more, talented, and they have beaten him soundly – Russell last year and Leclerc this year]

“He has unfinished business in Formula 1. Mercedes have failed to cope with these regulations and Lewis has never been happy with ground effect cars and they are not for him in that respect.

“Next year there will be completely new cars, completely different to drive, new power units that will need an intelligent way of managing energy.”

Meanwhile, Leclerc, pole-sitter in Hungary, was furious mid-race and later apologized. He and Vasseur hinted at chassis issues as the cause of his slump to P4. George Russell suspects Ferrari raised tire pressures and engine mode to avoid floor damage.

“Well, he won’t tell you that they were that close to being illegal,” said Mercedes’ Russell. “That’s the only thing we can piece together based on the laptimes and the engine mode they were using.”

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1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill, who recognizes that Lewis Hamilton is washed up, warned Hamilton that another year at Ferrari would only be “harder” after the seven-time champion had endured a tough Hungarian Grand Prix.

Giving his view of the race, Hill said it was “sad to see” Hamilton so “downhearted”.

The former Williams driver also conceded that it’s “tough to know when it’s time” to end your F1 career, suggesting another year will only be more difficult for Hamilton.

“Just seen the race. Good race. The way we like it,” Hill wrote on his X account.

“Bit of a brave move by Oscar. Could have ended… differently! Sad to see Sir Lewis so downhearted.

“It’s tough to know when it’s time. Another year? It gets harder. Maybe a good holiday is needed?”