Lewis Hamilton had an eventful Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend. From the start of the race on pole position to the sole start of the race due to a bad strategy call, the Brit experienced a rollercoaster ride on the Hungaroring in the truest sense of the word.
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With a wonderful drive, he crossed the finish line in third place and took another podium for Mercedes this season. He wasn’t his usual self, however, as he was drained after struggling back on the grid to save his team’s weekend.
Hamilton later announced that his COVID battle last year was still affecting his health, which made him feel dizzy and tired after racing in Hungary.
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Lewis Hamilton is doing well after the exhausting race in Hungary
As usual, the team’s technical director, Mike Elliot, answered a few questions from fans in a video debriefing video, including one about the health of the seven-time world champion after a strenuous race in Budapest.
Elliot said, “Thanks for asking first. I take it you saw him on the podium fighting. I saw him about an hour later and he was definitely better and I know he has since recovered.
Speaking of how difficult it is to sit in an F1 car, especially in hot weather, he added, “It takes a lot of energy in this really hot environment. The average person like you and me wouldn’t survive five minutes in there, let alone a whole race.
“So it wasn’t surprising that Lewis ended up feeling tired, but as he told the media, I think he’s also wondering if this is part of feeling sick with COVID.
“So hopefully he’ll recover well. He will now take a break after the shutdown and I am sure that he will come back really strong in the second half of the season, ”he concluded.
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A disappointing race for Lewis in Hungary
The reigning world champion hoped for another victory on the Hungaroring last weekend. After Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were out of the race, nothing stood in the way of the Briton being the first to cross the checkered flag.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be his own worst enemy. When the race started again, all drivers opted for a pit lane start to change their tires. But Lewis stuck to his intermediates and started the race all by himself on the track. This decision cost him dearly, because only one lap later he pitted to change his set of tires.
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Formula 1 F1 – Hungarian Grand Prix – Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary – July 31, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after qualifying in the pole position pool via REUTERS / David W Cerny
The driver with the starting number 44 lost the lead of the race and soon saw the rest of the field again. However, he did not give up and earned the third place he deserved.
But it wasn’t there; Sebastian Vettel was disqualified from the race, whereby Hamilton inherited second place.
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