Hamilton falls off the pace as Vettel proves he’s still hungry
PLANS were in place to crown Lewis Hamilton as the one-lap king, the equal of Michael Schumacher on 68 poles, but it is instead Sebastian Vettel who will lead away the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was only fourth fastest yesterday and never in contention on a circuit where he has enjoyed huge success over the years. Rather it was Ferrari who locked out the front row, a twitching of what some observers had deemed to be their dying title challenge.
Those predictions were always likely to be premature, not least on the tight 2.7miles of the Hungaroring, a low grip track like Monaco and Singapore that suits the Ferrari package.
Pro-Hamilton sensitivities apart, it raised the prospect of the title fight being prolonged following a bleak spell for the Scuderia since Sebastian Vettel won at Monaco at the end of May. On a track where overtaking opportunities are seldom, Vettel will be confident of opening up his one-point gap on Hamilton.
He has every reason to think so, according to Hamilton, who made the candid admission: ‘I think it’s going to be a breeze for them tomorrow. At no moment today did I think we had a shot at pole. I had a problem with vibrations but that is not the reason I didn’t beat the Ferraris.’
Hamilton threw everything at his first flying lap in the final qualifying session but ran wide at the fast Turn 4. His second attempt was less eventful but he still struggled for the required fluency. He finished not only behind the Ferraris but his team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
‘It’s a bit like tennis,’ said Hamilton of his two blasts at pole. ‘If you don’t ace the first serve, you don’t usually try to ace the second one. You take a little bit less risk next time.’
Hamilton’s father, Anthony, and step-mother, Linda, made a rare visit to the Formula One tour this weekend.
They spent some time with Lewis on Saturday evening on the top floor of the Mercedes motorhome and watched qualifying from the garage, earphones on.
The best chance for Hamilton today may be at the start — a long 600 yards of opportunity — or the early corners. Another opening may be offered by the extreme heat that is forecast and which could take a toll on man and machine.
Elsewhere, it was a decent day for McLaren, for whom Fernando Alonso qualified eighth on his 36th birthday.
A little glass-clinking celebration was staged for him in the team hospitality area.
He is looking increasingly likely to stay put, with the sense of feeling at home where he is and the lack of opportunities elsewhere combining.