Charles Leclerc has no doubts about the future of Scuderia Ferrari and of his team-mate Lewis Hamilton. After the Hungarian Grand Prix of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, the Monegasque driver made a bold promise: what happened during that difficult weekend “won’t happen again”.
Ferrari experienced a disastrous race weekend at the Hungaroring circuit, one that ended with more questions than answers. Charles Leclerc made a public commitment at the end of the race, aimed at both Lewis Hamilton and the second half of the Formula 1 season. The Maranello-based team left Budapest with the bitter taste of a wasted opportunity—starting from pole position but failing to convert it into victory, dealing with a mysterious problem still to be understood, and facing a visibly demoralized teammate.
The summer break has now officially begun, offering three weeks of rest and recovery. But despite the pause in the racing calendar, everyone at Ferrari already has their minds focused on the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
The Hungarian weekend had the potential to silence all the criticism and negativity that has surrounded Ferrari in recent weeks. A race win—made possible by Charles Leclerc’s brilliant qualifying performance—could have served as a turning point. It would have validated Ferrari’s latest development updates and reinforced the belief that the team can fight for top positions, at least on certain circuits, even against strong competitors like McLaren.
Instead, the Hungarian Grand Prix ended in the worst possible way. Charles Leclerc, the driver who had the best chance of taking victory, failed to even finish on the podium. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton ended up far behind, completely out of the points-scoring positions. To make matters worse, the mood within the team has now been impacted by Hamilton’s state of mind.
The British driver appears to be struggling mentally. His comments after the race were vague and somewhat cryptic, even hinting at a possible early departure—whether from Ferrari or from Formula 1 entirely. Right now, more than ever, Lewis Hamilton seems in need of a spark to reignite his season.
Leclerc defends Hamilton: “It’s just a difficult moment”
After the race, Charles Leclerc spoke up in support of his teammate. He was eager to clarify the situation and showed unity within the team:
“In the end, we are one single team, and even though I obviously want to finish ahead of Lewis, I also want both of us to succeed—and above all, I want Ferrari to succeed,” explained Charles Leclerc, as quoted by Motorsport.com.
The Monegasque driver acknowledged that the Hungarian Grand Prix was particularly challenging for Lewis Hamilton but made it clear that he sees the situation as temporary: “This weekend was obviously difficult for Lewis, but I have no doubt it was an isolated incident. I’m sure the second part of the season will be much more positive.”
Charles Leclerc also added a realistic note about Ferrari’s expectations for the remainder of the 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
“I don’t believe we’ll be heading into the second half of the season thinking we can win at every circuit,” he said. “And that’s precisely why the frustration is so strong—because we knew this was likely to be a good opportunity, and we had to make the most of it. Unfortunately, because of this issue, there wasn’t much we could do.”
The Monegasque’s words reflect both a sense of disappointment and a desire to move forward. His promise, that such a missed opportunity “won’t happen again,” is not only a message of reassurance for the tifosi, but also a call to regroup and aim higher when the season resumes at Zandvoort.
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