Hamilton: Unnecessary pit stop 'opened door' to latest penalty at Hungarian GP

Published Jul 26, 03:30 PM UTC

Lewis Hamilton expressed regret over Ferrari's decision to pit him for a third time during the Hungarian Grand Prix under a Virtual Safety Car, stating it 'opened the door' to a subsequent five-second penalty for pit-lane speeding. Hamilton, who had just inherited second place, lost track position to Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli, ultimately finishing fifth after the penalty was applied. The seven-time world champion admitted to making 'lots of mistakes' in recent races, having received penalties in the previous two Grands Prix as well. The result dropped him further behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who now holds a 50-point advantage heading into the summer break.