Credits: IMAGO / ABACAPRESS
The 2024 British GP weekend was one to forget for Charles Leclerc, who got knocked out in Q2 in qualifying, putting himself in P11 at the start of the race. He eventually ended up in P14, with poor pace and strategy errors on Ferrari’s part hampering his outing. As the Hungarian GP approaches, Leclerc has set a deadline for Ferrari to make corrections.
Ferrari engineers failed to identify the right balance in the car for a circuit like Silverstone. The strategists didn’t do Leclerc any favors on the race day either as an early pit stop for intermediate tires undid the good work he did in the initial laps.
There are now two races remaining before the start of the summer break. Keeping that in mind, he wants Ferrari to get its act together. Ahead of the Hungarian GP, as quoted by AMuS, he said,
“It is a [Hungaroring] track where the bouncing is less visible, but we get measurements there that will tell us whether we are right or wrong. Spa is then the ultimate test.”
The Hungaroring could play well into Ferrari’s hands unlike most tracks this year. That is because of its slow-paced nature which has earned the circuit the reputation of a Monaco track without the walls. The Monaco GP was the last race Ferrari had won before entering a dreaded slump. The person who won that afternoon was Leclerc himself.
At the same time, Hungary won’t be the final test for Leclerc to judge Ferrari’s progress. He will do that at the Belgian GP in Spa.
Carlos Sainz warns Ferrari against getting their hopes too high
Ferrari might be suited to run better on slow-paced track but Sainz has given the team a stern reality check. He has reminded the team about how much Hungaroring has changed, more specifically in the second sector. The Spaniard highlights how even the slowest corners in that part can see cars travel at speeds between 99.4 to 149.1 mph.
“The Hungaroring is no longer Monte Carlo without walls.”
As such, Ferrari needs to pull something out of the hat to be competitive in Hungary this weekend. With just two weeks until the summer-break, the Maranello-based team will have to gear up for a month of criticism, otherwise. Its passionate fanbase – the Tifosi – won’t take the drop in form too kindly either.
Once the second-fastest team on the grid, Ferrari is now fourth with McLaren and Mercedes overtaking them in the performance charts.
