The excitement at Ferrari was short-lived after Charles Leclerc saw himself on the outside looking in on a podium finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix. <\/p>\n
Leclerc had a stunning result in qualifying after grabbing pole position, which put Ferrari in an advantageous spot going into Sunday’s race. <\/p>\n
However, the race strategy from Ferrari left Leclerc frustrated despite having control until he made his first pit stop. This provided a window for the two McLarens to use their pace to close in on Ferrari as Lando Norris eventually took the lead.<\/p>\n
After Leclerc got new tires on lap 40, Oscar Piastri switched his tires on lap 45, which gave him the advantage he needed to pass the Ferrari. <\/p>\n
Not long after, George Russell caught up to Leclerc, who tried his best to defend against the Mercedes driver, but he was not able to and also got a five-second penalty for erratic driving. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness. You just have to listen to me,” Leclerc said on his radio. “I would have found a different way managing those issues. Now it’s just undrivable. It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.”<\/p>\n
This has not been a one-off situation for Ferrari, as Leclerc has struggled to turn pole positions into race victories. The 27-year-old\u00a0has now failed to convert 14 of his last 15 pole position starts into victories.<\/p>\n
Falling to fourth was a crucial blow to Leclerc in the driver standings as he continues to trail Russell in fifth, and Ferrari’s advantage over Mercedes for second in the constructors’ standings is now down to 28 points. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately for the other Ferrari car, it was a disappointing weekend for Lewis Hamilton who seemed to hit a new low with his new team. <\/p>\n
The seven-time\u00a0Formula 1\u00a0champion qualified outside the top 10 for the second race in a row and suggested that maybe Ferrari should change drivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team has no problem. You\u2019ve seen the cars on pole. So they probably need to change driver.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur responded to Hamilton’s remarks Sunday, pointing out that Ferrari had their struggles with tires and the importance of maintaining temperature. <\/p>\n
Addressing Hamilton’s qualifying performance, Vasseur emphasized the importance of managing the outlap to maintain tire temperature. He said:<\/p>\n
“We know that the out lap is crucial. If you overheat the tyres in Turn 1, you risk trouble at the end of the lap, or you just slide too much,” Vasseur said<\/a>. “Hamilton was out in Q2, Charles only just made it.<\/p>\n “Lewis missed it by a few hundredths, but managing the out lap is always tough. Of course he’s frustrated, but it was only a few tenths that made the difference. It’s a shame. We have to learn from this: the result is good, but we cannot rest on our laurels.”<\/p>\n Despite the disappointing results, Ferrari continued to put their faith in Vasseur, announced that they had extended his contract. <\/p>\n Ferrari chairman John Elkann reaffirmed his faith in the team’s direction and hopes the team will be able to find its footing in the second half of the season. <\/p>\n