Lewis Hamilton finished just 0.812 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but that wasn't what cost him a podium. According to Martin Brundle's analysis, it was a split-second decision during his third pit stop that proved pivotal. Hamilton released the speed limiter a fraction too early trying to beat Antonelli to the Safety Car line exiting the pit lane, and that single mistake ultimately knocked him from third place down to fifth.

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Here's where it gets messy. Hamilton did get ahead of Antonelli at the pit lane exit, but the Ferrari driver was actually at the Safety Car line first. So Hamilton had to give the position back anyway. But that's not all, because stewards also slapped him with a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. He'd exceeded the 80 kph limit by just 0.1 kph. Brundle reckons that tiny overspeed was only possible because Hamilton ditched the limiter early, and that decision ultimately cost him a podium spot.

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The whole weekend was rough for Hamilton honestly. He'd qualified second, just 0.012 seconds behind Lando Norris, but then picked up a grid penalty for unnecessarily impeding Oscar Piastri during Q3. That knocked him back to fifth on the grid, and even starting on fresh soft tyres, he could only pick up one position off the line. Then came the pit lane drama that defined his race.

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Brundle's take is clear, the five-second penalty was the correct call because the tiny speeding advantage was genuinely competitive, even if it was marginal. Hamilton's aggressive move to beat Antonelli out of the pits backfired spectacularly, and suddenly a solid afternoon fighting his way through the field turned into a missed podium. For a seven-time world champion, these marginal errors are exactly what's costing him results this season, and they're adding up.

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