Charles Leclerc, the pole sitter at the Hungarian Grand Prix, withdrew his earlier critical remarks made on the Ferrari radio after learning the root cause of his slow pace was a chassis issue. The Monégasque driver initially expressed anger at his team, believing they had ignored his advice on a different problem affecting his car.
Starting from pole position for the 27th time in his career, Leclerc appeared set for a strong race but struggled as the event progressed, particularly in the second stint. His frustration was evident when he radioed in complaints about losing competitiveness and dismissed the drivability of the car.
Race Struggles and Radio Outburst Explained
Leclerc’s early lead began to erode deeply after lap 40 as his car deteriorated, resulting in him losing ground to competitors including George Russell. Alongside the drop in pace, he received a five-second penalty for erratic driving, further condemning his chances of success.
During the race, Leclerc voiced his aggravation, stating,
“This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness. You just have to listen to me. I would have found a different way of managing those issues.”
He also warned,
“Now it’s just undrivable. Undrivable. It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.”
His prediction proved sadly accurate as he failed to maintain his lead.
Revelation of Chassis Fault Alters Race Narrative
After the race, Leclerc clarified the situation upon receiving more detailed information, acknowledging that the problem lay with the chassis rather than the issue he had originally suspected. He admitted that no different tactical approach could have prevented the severe performance drop.
Leclerc explained,
“First of all, I need to take back the words I’ve said on the radio, because I thought that it was coming from one thing but then I got a lot more details since I got out the car, and it was actually an issue coming from the chassis, and nothing that we could have done differently.”
He added that the difficulty started around lap 40 and progressively worsened, causing his car to become nearly impossible to control, and finishing several seconds off the pace in the final laps.
Implications for Ferrari and Leclerc’s Championship Hopes
This episode highlights critical reliability concerns within Ferrari’s chassis design, which directly impacted Leclerc’s ability to convert pole positions into race wins, a recurring challenge for the team. With George Russell and other rivals capitalizing on Ferrari’s misfortunes, the Hungarian race underscored durability issues that could jeopardize Leclerc’s championship campaign.
Moving forward, Ferrari will need to address these mechanical weaknesses to improve race performance and ensure Leclerc’s competitiveness in upcoming Grands Prix.