Fred Vasseur Avoids Crucial Leclerc Question After Ferrari’s Hungarian GP Collapse
As Charles Leclerc entered the pit lane for his second stop during the Hungarian Grand Prix, expectations were high that the Monegasque driver was firmly in contention for a podium finish. At that stage of the race, his pace and positioning suggested he could at least secure a top-three result for Ferrari.
However, just a few laps into his final stint on the hard tyre compound, it became apparent that something was seriously wrong with Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-25. His pace dropped dramatically, leaving both the team and fans puzzled. The sharp decline in performance led to a string of frustrated team radio messages from Leclerc, a now-familiar feature of his dynamic with his race engineer. His emotional outbursts during races have often contrasted with his calmer tone in post-race interviews, where he frequently walks back or softens his earlier criticisms.
The pattern repeated itself once again in Hungary. Charles Leclerc’s visible frustration inside the cockpit did not fully carry over into his interviews with the media after the race, where his remarks were far more restrained.
Following the race, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur faced questions regarding the mysterious drop-off in Leclerc’s pace and why the driver had not been informed of the underlying issues during the race. According to F1 journalist Ian Parkes, who was speaking during a RacingNews365 fan Q&A session, Fred Vasseur acknowledged that Leclerc had been dealing with chassis damage. However, when pressed about why the team failed to communicate this to Leclerc while he was still in the car, the French manager hungaappeared to dodge the question. Instead of giving a direct answer, he stated that there were issues with the car that still required further investigation once the SF-25 was returned to Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters.
Meanwhile, Mercedes driver George Russell offered a theory of his own regarding Charles Leclerc’s struggles. George Russell speculated that Ferrari may have opted to run Charles Leclerc’s car lower to the ground for performance reasons, which then required an increase in tyre pressures to meet plank wear regulations. This, he suggested, could have contributed to Leclerc’s lack of grip and pace in the final phase of the race.
The Hungarian Grand Prix had initially promised much more for both Charles Leclerc and Ferrari. The weekend began with a wave of optimism as the team announced a multi-year contract extension for Fred Vasseur, cementing his role as team principal beyond 2025. It was a vote of confidence in the Frenchman, who had taken charge of the team at the start of the 2023 season.
Leclerc, too, had looked poised for a strong performance after unexpectedly claiming pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session. His final run in Q3 edged out both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, earning him a start from the front of the grid. It was a boost Ferrari desperately needed, and it raised hopes for a long-overdue race victory or at least a place on the podium.
In contrast, Lewis Hamilton experienced one of his more challenging weekends at the Hungaroring, a track where he has historically dominated with eight career victories. The seven-time world champion struggled to find balance or speed throughout the race weekend and continued to express growing frustration with Ferrari’s overall performance.
Lewis Hamilton’s post-race remarks only added to the tension within the team. He reportedly suggested that Ferrari might be better off without him—a comment that raised eyebrows across the paddock. Former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi later weighed in, remarking that a figure like Michael Schumacher would never have made such a statement publicly during his time with the Scuderia.
With just six races remaining in the 2025 Formula 1 season, the Briton is still searching for his first podium in Ferrari colours. If he fails to reach the rostrum before the end of the year, he will join an unwanted chapter in the team’s history—matching the record for the most races without a podium for a Ferrari driver. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari are left picking up the pieces from a race that once promised so much, but ultimately exposed the ongoing instability in performance, communication, and leadership within the team.
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