The Hungarian Grand Prix for Ferrari had the realistic goal of fourth and fifth positions, aiming to outperform Lewis Hamilton. The target was partly achieved, but there is also a sense of a missed opportunity. Max Verstappen’s mistake at the turn 1 braking point (while battling with Lewis Hamilton) unexpectedly opened the door to the podium, an opportunity promptly seized by Mercedes. In summary, Ferrari was not affected by bouncing at the Hungaroring as it was at Silverstone, but it remained the fourth force.
Overall, the SF-24 was more competitive in the race than in a single fast lap. In the first stint, Charles Leclerc (who had an excellent start) was three seconds behind Max Verstappen and two behind Lewis Hamilton after fifteen laps. His strategy, which involved a longer stint than the two rivals, brought him back on track on lap 23, seven seconds behind the Dutchman and twelve behind the seven-time Formula 1 world champion.
In this phase, with hard tires, Charles Leclerc showed his best, capable of recovering ground on both rivals over fifteen laps. “The plan was for Charles to stay on track for several more laps,” Frederic Vasseur explained after the race, “but at a certain point, we were blocked by Max and Lewis, and it made no sense to stay behind them without trying something. So we pitted to try the undercut, but unfortunately, Lewis pitted at the same time.”
The final fourth and sixth places are a result that keeps the team afloat, but Fred Vasseur was keen to highlight some positive aspects. The first is the effort made at Maranello to bring a modified floor to the track, which was not in the plans.” The French manager then analyzed the performance of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. “To be clear,” he said, “I am not happy with the result we achieved, but at the same time, we made a good step forward in terms of competitiveness compared to Silverstone. We need to continue in this direction. Today, the gap between the leading cars is two or three tenths, we finished the race with a 20-second delay over 70 laps, or less than three-tenths per lap if we consider the five seconds we accumulated at the end of the first lap.”
“Now, we must not make drastic changes but make small steps forward. Sometimes it is a bit difficult because when you are in fifth and sixth positions, you feel you are kilometers away from the leaders, and you think that drastic changes are necessary. But that’s not how you climb back up, but with small steps forward.” – he pointed out.
What has given the Maranello team renewed confidence is the improvement in terms of drivability, the critical issue that emerged at the Silverstone circuit. The consistency seen, especially in Charles Leclerc’s race, was linked to the absence of bouncing and tire management that did not show any critical issues. “This aspect makes us more optimistic,” Frederic Vasseur confirmed. “I am sure Spa will be another story, but we will have something up our sleeve. It was important to have answers in the long stints because when you don’t have confidence in the car, with each lap completed, you tend to take a step back.” – the Ferrari boss added following the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The loss of the second position in the Constructors’ standings did not significantly hurt the Scuderia team. It was only a matter of time; the overtaking by McLaren (although not pleasant) had been accepted given the performance difference that has been evident between the two teams since the Monaco Grand Prix.
Considering the trend of the last races, the tie with Mercedes (20 points each) is not a verdict to be underestimated for Ferrari. For now, the German team remains at -91, but a reaction is needed because, although the margin is considerable, the 2024 Formula 1 championship is seeing significant comebacks and escapes.
