F1 news: Ferrari’s Hungary misery as Charles Leclerc fumes and Lewis Hamilton says he’s “glad it’s over”
Charles Leclerc started the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole and ended it sounding absolutely dejected.
It was a race that could have been his, but instead, it became yet another entry in Ferrari’s ever-growing archive of collapses.
For the first half of the race, Leclerc had it under control.
From pole to pain
Leclerc led confidently and was managing the pace well on the Mediums. But by Lap 40, something changed.
His lap times nosedived, he began dropping positions, and the team radio went into meltdown. The Monegasque was livid.
“We have lost all competitiveness,” he shouted, before calling the car “undriveable” and saying it would take a miracle to finish on the podium.
At the time, Ferrari had no explanation. Leclerc assumed the team’s setup change was to blame.
But after the race, the truth came out.
A sudden issue with the chassis had crippled the car's balance and cornering. He’d been nursing a fundamental mechanical problem and didn’t even know it.
Once the post-race data came through, Leclerc retracted his in-race criticisms, admitting the setup change wasn’t at fault after all. But the damage was already done.
“This is not the outcome we hoped for but there was nothing we could have done to control it considering the issue we had,” he said.
“I got some more insight into what was happening after getting out of the car and it turns out that we had an issue on the chassis that started just about when I began to feel a difference in how the car behaved.
“It’s frustrating, because I think we could have won today, but we will return after the summer break and give it our all to come back stronger.”
From fighting for the win, the Monegasque slipped to fourth by the chequered flag, nearly 50 seconds behind race winner Lando Norris.
George Russell passed him late on to deny Ferrari a podium, and any hope of salvaging pride from a weekend that had started with so much promise evaporated.
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Hamilton endures a weekend to forget
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Lewis Hamilton’s mood wasn’t any brighter.
His weekend never got going. Out in Q2. Stuck in traffic all race. Lapped before the end.
The Brit crossed the line in a forgettable 12th place and delivered one of the most honest post-race interviews of the year.
“I’m glad it’s over. I’m looking forward to going away,” he told the media, deadpan.
Hamilton’s body language said more than his words. He looked exhausted. Not just physically, but emotionally checked out. And with the summer break now underway, you’d be hard-pressed to find a driver more in need of it.
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Ferrari must do more for their drivers
Over the summer break, the team need to regroup and focus on improving the SF-25 for the second half of the season.
Both Charles and Lewis could use this time to reset, but it’s on Ferrari to give them something worth returning to.
For McLaren, it was a different story entirely at the Hungarian GP. Norris took the win ahead of Piastri, making it a 1-2 and their 200th team victory.
But that stat will be a bitter one for Leclerc. This could have - should have - been his race.
Instead, it became another reminder that for all the raw speed he brings, Ferrari continue to find new ways to let him down.
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