A nightmare in papaya color
Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc’s Hungarian Grand Prix will start from the sixth position on the grid at the Hungaroring circuit. It’s a positive result compared to his Maranello teammate, Carlos Sainz, who was eliminated in Q2, and it’s perfectly in line with the average placement the Monegasque driver has achieved in qualifying in this first half of the 2023 Formula One season. However, what surprises the most are the drivers who finished ahead of the Ferrari driver. It’s understandable to be behind Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, but Charles Leclerc also ended up trailing the two McLarens and the surprising Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu.
Given the recent memory of Silverstone, the result of the two papaya-colored cars is what worries the Maranello driver the most, as confirmed by the Monegasque at the end of the qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Upgrades are needed
“We are struggling in general with the car’s performance at the moment,” Charles Leclerc stated bluntly to Sky Sport F1. “The McLaren cars have surprised us again today. We expected them to take a step forward only in the fast corners, but here on this track, it’s evident that they have made an overall improvement. We hope that the upcoming upgrades will allow us to fight with them,” the Ferrari driver added, appearing somewhat discouraged by the outcome of Q3. Unlike other occasions where he had been quite critical of himself, this time Charles Leclerc didn’t feel the need for self-criticism.
No excuses
“I put everything together. The last sector was a bit less good because I had more snap in the lap and lost the rear, so I probably lost 5 hundredths, which might have been enough to gain a couple of positions. But honestly, the lap was good.” Even the new, debated Saturday format didn’t become an excuse for the Monaco native, who secured Scuderia Ferrari’s only two podium finishes this year. “The format is the same for everyone,” Charles Leclerc reminded us “So, it hasn’t had more influence on us than on others.” – he pointed out.
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A ‘surprising’ race
However, the reduced number of available tires has complicated the work of various teams in the free practice sessions, making it almost impossible to compare one team’s performance with another. “The degradation didn’t seem bad when we did the simulations,” Charles Leclerc concluded, “but the pace didn’t seem good. However, Red Bull had much fresher tires. It becomes difficult to compare stints with such a format. Tomorrow’s race will be a surprise for everyone, but if we do a good job managing the tires, anything is possible. That’s what makes the difference here.” It’s the only hope Ferrari fans can hold onto in view of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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