Hamilton compared to 'a schoolboy reluctantly dragged out from behind the chalkboard'

08:35, 04 Aug

Updated: 09:07, 04 Aug

byTobia Elia

Let’s take a look at how the Italian media reacted to Lewis Hamilton’s tough weekend in Hungary, where the Brit finished outside the top 10 in both qualifying and the race, and made some rather concerning remarks in front of the press.

One of the drivers likely to welcome the summer break with the most relief is Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion, buoyed by a strong race in Belgium, had hoped to put on a good show in Hungary — a track where he has claimed eight career victories and a record nine pole positions.

The reality, however, turned out to be quite different. The Ferrari driver’s troubles began on Saturday, failing to make it past Q2 and getting knocked out with the 12th fastest time.

On a track where overtaking has always been notoriously difficult, the race quickly became a struggle — a frustrating affair in which he spent most of his time stuck in traffic, never able to impose his pace.

But how did the Italian media react to yet another difficult weekend for Hamilton? Let’s take a look at the front pages of the country’s most prominent newspapers.

Lewis Hamilton in Hungary

Corriere della Sera

Corriere della Sera used rather strong language in assessing the Brit’s weekend, describing him as a “schoolboy reluctantly dragged out from behind the chalkboard.”

''A master of communication who now struggles to find the words, alternating between disheartening statements and hollow clichés. Lewis looks like a schoolboy reluctantly dragged out from behind the chalkboard—desperately in need of a trip to anywhere without corners, kerbs, or people dressed in red.''

Autosprint

Autosprint, on the other hand, highlighted how the summer break could be an opportunity for Hamilton to hit reset and start from scratch: ''Hamilton finished the Hungarian Grand Prix far from the spotlight — and more importantly, outside the points. It was a lacklustre Sunday for the seven-time world champion, who never managed to find his rhythm and was also hampered by some less-than-perfect strategic calls from the Ferrari pit wall.''

''From the moment he arrived at Ferrari, Hamilton made a point of managing expectations, openly describing 2025 as a transitional year. But even he likely didn’t anticipate such a difficult start.''

''Now comes the summer break — a valuable opportunity for Lewis to switch off, reflect, and perhaps reset ahead of the second half of the season. There’s still time to turn things around, but it will take a real shift — both on and off the track — to change gears.''

Gazzetta dello Sport

Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted the Brit’s deep frustration and emphasized how Ferrari now needs to rely on the real Lewis: ''Starting 12th, finishing 12th. He had never looked so downcast and demoralized. Setting aside the troubles of the SF-25, he needs to shake it off. Ferrari needs the real Lewis.''

Repubblica

Repubblica went as far as giving the Brit a grade, labeling his weekend a 4 out of 10: ''Starting 12th, finishing 12th — a flat-line performance. His Saturday remarks made waves: a self-admission that he’s the wrong kind of driver and needs to change.''

''Sunday didn’t bring any improvement. He struggled, fought hard, but ultimately ended up sadly outside the points. Fans are left unsure what to make of it all.''