Lewis Hamilton faces brutal reality check ahead of return to favourite stomping ground

As the Formula One roadshow arrives on the outskirts of Budapest, it is fair to say no-one has driven the Hungaroring quite like Lewis Hamilton has driven it. The seven-times world champion has won eight races there and has been on pole a record nine times.

Hamilton’s victory in his rookie season 18 years ago was the first of 12 podium finishes and he recorded the fastest-ever lap at the track, 1:16.627, in the 2020 Grand Prix. But Hamilton and records have been bedfellows for a long, long time.

He has been a remarkable driver. The chances, though, of Hamilton celebrating a ninth win at the Hungaroring on Sunday are slim.

The main reason for that is that Ferrari have not provided Hamilton with a car that can seriously compete for victories. Ferrari will need some serious luck to win in Hungary.

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But if fortune did favour Ferrari, then Hamilton would have to beat his team-mate, Charles Leclerc, assuming the man from Monaco stayed on the track. And so far this season, Leclerc has outperformed Hamilton.

In the 13 races, Leclerc has out-qualified Hamilton on nine occasions. On race-day, Leclerc has finished ahead of Hamilton ten times.

Despite the hullabaloo over the eye-watering figures involved in Hamilton’s move to Ferrari - conservative estimates have him earning a base annual salary of £60million - it has not been surprising to see him trail Leclerc, although it should be remembered that the British driver did win a sprint race in China. After all, Leclerc has been driving Formula One for Ferrari since 2019 and is entrenched in the team.

But in Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes, he was outperformed by George Russell, who qualified ahead of his team-mate at 19 of the 24 Grand Prix. On race day, Russell finished ahead of Hamilton on 14 occasions with the pair both failing to finish the Australian Grand Prix.

Leclerc turns 28 in October, Russell turns 28 four months later. Max Verstappen will be 28 in September, Lando Norris does not turn 26 until November. Oscar Piastri, who leads the drivers’ championship, was only six years of age when Hamilton first won at the Hungaroring.

Hamilton is 40 years of age. Few people doubt that, given the car, Hamilton can still win races but he is racing against a generation of drivers who are not intimidated by his presence on a race track.

Even though he is only 13 races into his time at Ferrari, Hamilton has felt compelled to dismiss speculation that he might be thinking of retiring before his two-year deal finishes at the end of 2026. Why would he retire? For a start, he is probably still the biggest commercial draw in the sport, hence the deal given to him by Ferrari.

He clearly has a great relationship with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who has just been given a significant contract extension.

And the notion that a great sportsman or woman tarnishes his or her legacy by going on too long is nonsense. If you still enjoy it, carry on, even if age diminishes your powers.

That is what, for example, Andy Murray did. Hamilton seems as enthusiastic as ever, still has a huge global fanbase and can still put in a blisteringly quick lap.

He is still a big beast on the Formula One grid. But a throwback performance on one of his favourite stomping grounds would not go amiss.