International media point the finger at Hamilton after yet another woeful weekend

With the Hungarian GP — the final race before the summer break — now behind us, let’s take a look at how the international media reacted to yet another difficult weekend for Lewis Hamilton.

After a tough weekend at Spa — where at least he pulled off a brilliant recovery from the pit lane to seventh place — this time Lewis Hamilton started from 12th and finished in the same position, ending the Hungarian GP outside the points.

The Brit spent nearly the entire race stuck in traffic on a track where overtaking has always been notoriously difficult, with a close call with Max Verstappen at Turn 5 standing out as the only real moment he was caught on camera.

After 14 races, the tally stands at zero podiums, zero pole positions, and, unsurprisingly, zero wins.

A stark contrast to Charles Leclerc, who not only claimed pole position at the Hungaroring but also fought for the win until midway through the race, before eventually having to back off due to chassis damage discovered on his SF-25.

Hamilton Spa

Daily Mail

The Daily Mail opens with a reflection on the seven-time world champion, suggesting that what he needs most right now is simply rest — a chance to go on holiday, switch off, and recharge his batteries: ''It was another dismal day for the seven-time world champion at the Hungaroring after his mind-scrambling Saturday, when he qualified 12th in contrast to team-mate Charles Leclerc’s pole position.''

‘Absolutely useless’ was his description of himself that night, saying Ferrari should replace him with another driver. On Sunday he finished 12th, to Leclerc’s fourth, and was lapped – a display that hardly bandaged his wounded psyche.''

''Clearly, Hamilton needs a rest, his confidence shot after all the hoopla of his move to Ferrari went flat. He had hoped to revivify his career aged 40 in the famous red car, yet he is 42 points behind Leclerc after 14 podium-less races in which he has only twice finished ahead of the Monegasque.''

Gazzetta dello Sport

La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted how the partnership between Hamilton and Ferrari has, so far, been nothing short of a complete failure: ''No podiums, consistently outpaced by Leclerc — often by a significant margin. So far, the story between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari has been a bitter disappointment, and the Brit is well aware of it. No excuses, but also no intention of giving up.''

''Hamilton reflected on the result in Budapest as well: 12th in both qualifying and the race. A performance clearly lacking, especially compared to Leclerc’s, though also affected by a strategy that simply didn’t work.''

Marca

Marca, on the other hand, focused on Hamilton’s demeanor and body language in front of the cameras: ''Hamilton failed, again. Almost a betrayal of the '44' and more so in Hungary, where he has won in all colours. But the problem came later, when the images and words that leave the seven-time champion in the worst moment of his career accumulated.''

''The Ferrari driver came out avoiding SF-25 cameras, hand on face. He didn't want anything or anyone to catch him in his moment of weakness.''

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