Charles Leclerc claimed a stunning pole position for Ferrari in Hungary this weekend, surprising the McLarens in outpacing them in qualifying, a rare highlight in a weekend of frustration for the Italian squad.
Leclerc started well and led early, but that advantage unravelled during the race. Leclerc slipped from the lead to finish fourth, some 42‑43 seconds behind winner Lando Norris. He aired his frustration on team radio, blasting Ferrari for not listening to him and lamenting that they’d lost all competitiveness. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur confirmed a full investigation as Leclerc lost up to two seconds per lap late in the race, likely due to chassis problems.
According to Leclerc, he has been able to convert only 1 win from his last 16 poles which surely has to say something to Ferrari’s engineering team about lack of race pace.
McLaren’s Perfect Calcuation
McLaren looked untouchable with this Hungarian result being their 200th F1 win and yet another one‑two. Lando Norris pulled off an audacious one‑stop strategy, staying on hard tyres for over 39 laps, which ultimately proved decisive. Despite a relentless chase from teammate Oscar Piastri in a two‑stop strategy, Norris held on by just 0.698 seconds.
Meanwhile, Piastri remains championship leader, but the gap has been cut to nine points (Piastri on 284 vs Norris on 275) as F1 heads into its summer break.
Ferrari Hangs On as Runner Up in Constructors
With their result, McLaren stretched their lead at the top of the constructors’ standings even further, currently on 559 points, well ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes. Ferrari remain second, but the gulf to McLaren continues to widen.
What Went Wrong for Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton endured another disastrous weekend at Ferrari. He failed to make Q3 in qualifying, eliminated in Q2 and placed 12th, a circuit at which he holds pole records, while his teammate Leclerc took pole .
Hamilton was brutally self-critical, calling himself useless. In the race itself, Hamilton made no progress and ultimately finished 12th, lapped by the leaders, his worst-ever result at the Hungaroring. A clash with Max Verstappen mid-race, where Hamilton was forced wide, sparked a stewards investigation, but no action was ultimately taken.
Final Thoughts
Leclerc’s qualifying brilliance offered a glimmer for Ferrari, but race pace, strategy and engineering failures saw him lose the podium. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s struggles deepen with qualification woes and a race without any recovery highlighting mounting pressure at Ferrari.
McLaren reinforce dominance over Ferrari and Mercedes, executing a perfect strategic gamble to lock in another race win and constructor advantage. With the season now on pause until late August, F1 heads to Zandvoort, and McLaren looks firmly in control.
What now for Ferrari! A shake-up to provide better support for Leclerc’s undeniable world-class driving skills?
