Leclerc Blames Chassis Issues for Missed Victory at Hungarian Grand Prix
Budapest, Hungary – Charles Leclerc expressed frustration after the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he lost what he believed could have been a victory due to a chassis issue that hampered his performance late in the race.
Starting from pole position, Leclerc initially led convincingly but began communicating concerns about the car’s performance over the team radio. "I can feel what we discussed before the race," he noted early in the event. As the race progressed, he became increasingly vocal, stating, “We are going to lose this race with these things. We are losing so much time.”
His performance deteriorated significantly in the final stint, where he eventually fell behind both McLaren drivers. Critically, he remarked, “This is so incredibly frustrating, we’ve lost all competitiveness… It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.” George Russell passed Leclerc and extended his lead to 15 seconds.
Post-race, Leclerc reevaluated his earlier remarks after receiving more detailed insights about the car’s performance. “I need to take back the words I said on the radio… it was actually an issue coming from the chassis,” he clarified.
He noted that symptoms of the issue began on lap 40, worsening progressively and resulting in a loss of two seconds per lap by race’s end. Leclerc stated, “This was an issue and it’s an outlier. It shouldn’t ever happen again.” He expressed disappointment, citing this race as possibly Ferrari’s best chance to win this season.
Ferrari’s data during the race had not indicated the severity of the problem, leaving Leclerc uncertain about the cause during the race. “Otherwise, we probably would have known and they would have told me,” he said. Reflections on the day underscored a missed opportunity for Team Ferrari, as Leclerc would have preferred a different strategy to manage the car’s issues.
With this setback, Leclerc’s podium hopes are clearly impacted, but his determination remains evident as he looks ahead to future races.
