Lewis Hamilton acknowledges the need to "step it up" at the Hungarian Grand Prix following a challenging weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. After finishing fourth in Belgium, Hamilton admitted that a crash during final practice significantly hindered his chances for a podium finish. The incident not only required extensive repairs but also affected his performance in qualifying.

His teammate, Charles Leclerc, continued his strong form by qualifying and finishing ahead of Hamilton for the second consecutive race. Leclerc's race strategy benefitted from a well-timed Virtual Safety Car, allowing him to finish just two seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship.

With Ferrari's recent performance outpacing expectations against Mercedes, particularly at high-speed tracks like Silverstone and Spa, they are favored to excel at the Hungaroring, which suits their car’s cornering capabilities. Hamilton expressed optimism about improving his performance as the season progresses, stating, "We have got more stuff coming in the pipeline to try and close that gap down."

Despite finishing off the podium for only the second time in six races, Hamilton regained second place in the Drivers' Championship, moving ahead of George Russell after the latter spun out following contact on the first lap. Hamilton now trails Antonelli by 45 points.

Leclerc, meanwhile, is encouraged by his recent improvements but remains cautious. He noted, "I'm confident in saying that I made a step forward. Whether I'm at the level where I want to perform, not yet." He emphasized the importance of refining his driving style to fully adapt to the 2026 cars, highlighting the small details that can significantly impact performance.