Ferrari Struggle for Positives Despite Charles Leclerc’s Pole at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first pole position of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a moment that briefly lifted the spirits of the Maranello-based team. However, despite this qualifying success, Scuderia Ferrari departed Budapest and entered the summer break with more concerns than reasons to celebrate.
Ferrari had been the last of the four leading Formula 1 teams to claim a pole this year, with McLaren already dominating the season with eight poles, Red Bull Racing taking four, and Mercedes managing one. By joining that list at the Hungaroring, Ferrari finally made a mark in qualifying—but the team continues to stand alone among the front-runners as the only one without a race win in the 2025 season. The championship battle has been largely controlled by their rivals, with McLaren notching up 11 victories, Red Bull securing two, and Mercedes adding one more to their tally.
Despite Ferrari currently holding second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings, their individual results tell a different story. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton—Ferrari’s high-profile driver pairing—sit only fifth and sixth respectively in the Drivers’ Championship after 14 rounds. Leclerc, now 27 years old, headed into the summer hiatus with 151 points, while 40-year-old Hamilton remains further adrift on 109 points.
Leclerc’s pole position in Hungary, the 27th of his Formula 1 career, seemed to signal a potential turning point. But his inability to convert that strong Saturday into a race win marked yet another missed opportunity. The Monegasque driver eventually crossed the line in fourth place, falling short of what would have been his ninth career victory. With Formula 1 now on pause until the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort from August 29 to 31, Ferrari finds itself reflecting on what could have been.
Ferrari Sporting Director Stepped In to Calm Leclerc After Race Frustration in Hungary
Leclerc’s Hungarian Grand Prix unravelled following his second pit stop on lap 40 of the 70-lap race. Having fought for the lead in the early stages, particularly with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Leclerc gradually slipped down the order, eventually finishing behind Mercedes driver George Russell. Ferrari communicated to Leclerc via team radio that a possible issue with his chassis might have been responsible for the loss of pace, though no official confirmation of this theory has been made.
Reports within the paddock suggest that Ferrari deliberately compromised Leclerc’s performance mid-race to avoid excessive wear on the car’s skid block. These compromises allegedly involved raising the tyre pressures and lowering the SF-25’s engine output. These decisions, while likely made for precautionary reasons, reportedly left Leclerc deeply frustrated. He was said to believe that the team could have pursued an alternative approach without giving up so much performance.
Due to the intensity of Leclerc’s radio communications, Auto Sport Web reported that Ferrari sporting director Diego Loverno took the unusual step of immediately seeking out Leclerc in the parc fermé area after the race. Normally not one to engage directly with drivers so soon after the chequered flag, Loverno was said to have “rushed” to speak with Leclerc in an effort to manage the emotional fallout and prevent any negative public statements during media interviews.
While not a pre-planned intervention, Loverno’s decision was prompted by the visible disappointment unfolding during the race. Recognising the risk of Leclerc expressing raw criticism toward the team’s race strategy or technical decisions, the Bologna-born director made it a priority to address the driver personally before he could face journalists.
Charles Leclerc Reined in His Frustration in Post-Race Interviews
Following that behind-the-scenes discussion, Leclerc delivered composed and carefully measured comments in his post-race interviews. He suggested that his disappointing result might have been related to a possible chassis issue, thus aligning his narrative with the team’s messaging. He avoided direct blame toward Ferrari’s choices, such as the lowered engine modes or altered tyre pressures, choosing instead to present a united front to the media.
Nevertheless, even though Leclerc refrained from lashing out, the events of the Hungarian Grand Prix once again highlighted Ferrari’s ongoing technical and strategic challenges. Heading into the mid-season break, the Scuderia is left grappling with a car that is still not delivering consistent race-day performance, despite flashes of one-lap speed.
Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton also endured a weekend to forget. The seven-time world champion failed to make an impact in either qualifying or the race, starting and finishing in 12th position. It marked his lowest classified finish of the season so far, further compounding Ferrari’s disappointment in Hungary.
One of the central concerns emerging from the Budapest weekend involves Ferrari’s rear suspension upgrade. First introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, the new component was intended to offer better rear-end stability and allow the SF-25 to be run closer to the ground—a setup that typically increases downforce and overall grip. However, the recent need to make adjustments mid-race to prevent skid plank damage has led to speculation that the upgrade may not be performing as intended.
If Ferrari truly had to compromise Leclerc’s Hungarian Grand Prix pace due to fears over plank wear, it would suggest that the revised rear suspension has not delivered the aerodynamic consistency needed to maximise performance under heavy fuel loads and race conditions. This uncertainty casts further doubt over Ferrari’s development trajectory heading into the second half of the season.
As the Formula 1 calendar now enters its summer shutdown, Ferrari faces the dual challenge of restoring confidence within its driver line-up and extracting more competitive race pace from the SF-25. For Charles Leclerc, the Hungarian Grand Prix offered a reminder of his talent in qualifying—but also underscored the persistent obstacles preventing him from turning poles into victories.
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