Ferrari once had an advantage at the start – Hungary showed it has disappeared. Hungarian GP acceleration data highlights Ferrari launch weakness.

Charles Leclerc’s fall from second to fifth at the start of the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix was not simply the result of one poor reaction or an exceptional launch by a rival. The acceleration data from Budapest shows that Ferrari’s previous start advantage has disappeared, while the Soft compound provided no clear benefit during the opening phase.

Charles Leclerc reached 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and 200 km/h in 5.3 seconds. That placed the Ferrari driver behind 13 rivals in the overall acceleration comparison, despite starting from the front row on Soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton produced a stronger initial launch, reaching 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and 200 km/h in 5.1 seconds, but Ferrari still held no measurable advantage over the quickest cars.

Ferrari’s Hungarian GP start advantage disappears

The Hungarian GP acceleration data is significant because strong starts had previously been regarded as one of Ferrari’s most dependable strengths. The Scuderia’s power-unit characteristics, including its smaller turbo configuration, had appeared to support effective initial acceleration. At the Hungaroring, however, there was no visible Ferrari start advantage.

Alexander Albon, Oscar Piastri and Oliver Bearman recorded the quickest overall acceleration time at 4.9 seconds from zero to 200 km/h. Lando Norris, Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon followed on 5.0 seconds, while Lewis Hamilton was part of a five-driver group on 5.1 seconds.

Charles Leclerc’s 5.3-second total left him two tenths slower than Lewis Hamilton and four tenths behind the quickest drivers. More importantly, his 2.9-second time from zero to 100 km/h was not competitive enough to protect second place during the run away from the grid.

The chart cannot identify the precise reason for the difference. A Formula 1 start depends on reaction time, clutch operation, tyre preparation, grip and the quality of each subsequent gear change. What the comparison does show is the outcome: Ferrari no longer possessed an obvious advantage during the critical opening acceleration phase.

Soft tyres provided no clear launch benefit

Ferrari’s tyre choice makes the comparison even more revealing. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton started on Soft tyres, yet neither driver produced the quickest zero-to-100 km/h or zero-to-200 km/h time.

Lewis Hamilton’s 2.8-second initial acceleration matched several drivers on Medium tyres, while Charles Leclerc’s 2.9 seconds was slower than the 2.7-second launches recorded by Alexander Albon, Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto. The Soft compound therefore did not deliver a visible opening advantage for Ferrari.

The same pattern applied more widely. Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto were also shown as Soft-tyre starters, but none led the overall comparison. Starting on the softer compound may still have offered other benefits during the opening stint, but the data does not show a decisive gain during the launch itself.

Hungarian GP acceleration times

Charles Leclerc’s first phase was not the only problem

Charles Leclerc’s 2.9-second time to 100 km/h was only one tenth slower than Lewis Hamilton’s, but the gap between the Ferrari drivers increased by the time they reached 200 km/h. Hamilton completed the full acceleration phase in 5.1 seconds, while Leclerc required 5.3 seconds.

That means Leclerc took 2.4 seconds to accelerate from 100 to 200 km/h, compared with Hamilton’s 2.3 seconds. The difference is small, but the field was so closely grouped that two tenths across the full launch phase carried a significant positional cost.

Ferrari therefore did not only lose out during the initial clutch release. Leclerc’s acceleration remained less effective after reaching 100 km/h, contributing to the loss of track position before the race had settled.

McLaren and Haas set the benchmark

The strongest figures came from cars belonging to different teams, illustrating how widely competitive start performance has become. Oscar Piastri matched Alexander Albon’s 4.9-second total, while Oliver Bearman placed the Haas in the same leading group. Lando Norris followed just one tenth behind.

At the other end of the comparison, Pierre Gasly required 5.8 seconds to reach 200 km/h, while George Russell recorded 6.5 seconds after Mercedes’ anti-stall system was triggered. Russell lost approximately 1.3 seconds to Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the zero-to-100 km/h phase alone, reaching that speed in 4.2 seconds compared with his teammate’s 2.9.

Should Ferrari reconsider its start procedure?

The data does not prove that Ferrari’s pre-start preparation is fundamentally flawed, nor does it isolate a single technical explanation. It does, however, provide another reason for the team to review a procedure that is no longer producing an obvious advantage.

Charles Leclerc had a front-row starting position and the Soft tyres, but still dropped three places. Lewis Hamilton’s launch was better, yet it remained no stronger than the best starts achieved on Mediums. Ferrari’s smaller turbo and softer compound therefore brought no visible advantage in Budapest.

With the leading teams now producing quick and repeatable launches, the Scuderia can no longer treat the start as an area in which it will naturally gain positions. At circuits where overtaking is difficult, losing that strength can transform a potential victory challenge into a recovery race within seconds.