Charles Leclerc gave his absolute best during the Hungarian Grand Prix, the last round of the 2025 Formula 1 season before the summer break, striving to lead Ferrari to a hard-fought victory. He delivered a brilliant start and a strong first half of the race, but then encountered several challenges and setbacks. These included tire pressure issues and some complicated problems with the power unit of the car. These difficulties severely affected his overall performance in the crucial final stint, where his average lap times noticeably dropped compared to the middle part of the race, reducing his competitive edge.
Exceptional tire management by the SF-25 car number 16
During the first stint of the race, Charles Leclerc set a strong and consistent pace right from the opening laps, building a 2.6-second gap over his closest competitor, Oscar Piastri, after completing 10 laps. By the end of this initial stint, the Monegasque driver was about a tenth of a second faster on average than the Australian driver, optimally managing his tires thanks in part to the clean air he enjoyed while running in clear track conditions. The only instruction from the Ferrari pit wall directed at Charles Leclerc concerned tire management strategies at lap 11, aiming to preserve the tires for the long run.
Regarding tire degradation, Charles Leclerc began to experience signs of tire wear and decreased performance after lap 7, losing some of the margin he had carefully built over Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, the first part of the race proved significantly more difficult for Lewis Hamilton, who was more than a second slower than his teammate while running in the back of the field, struggling especially with temperature management of his tires and brakes. Ferrari’s race engineer Riccardo Adami repeatedly urged Lewis Hamilton to increase his use of lift and coast techniques to better preserve his tire life.
This request was directly related to the management of tire temperatures, as Lewis Hamilton’s tires were running slightly overheated due to the dirty air caused by running in traffic and turbulent wake from other cars. He also had trouble keeping brake temperatures under control, which forced him to make continuous adjustments to brake balance during the heavy braking zones of the circuit. Additionally, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion was unable to effectively utilize the Drag Reduction System on the main straight to pass Kimi Antonelli. The Briton’s tire degradation, which forced him to extend his first stint longer than was ideal, was largely caused by the traffic congestion ahead of him on track.
Leclerc and Piastri maintain similar race pace
During the middle stint of the race, Charles Leclerc and his Ferrari pit wall expertly managed Oscar Piastri’s undercut attempt, maintaining the race lead despite the challenge. The 27-year-old driver immediately matched Oscar Piastri’s race pace, aiming to reduce the gap to Lando Norris, who had committed to a one-stop pit stop strategy for the race. Over the course of ten laps, the Monegasque driver gained an impressive 10 seconds on the British McLaren driver, showing a steady and linear tire degradation throughout this critical stint.
Lando Norris, in turn, managed his harder tire compound very well with continuous support and instructions from his pit wall, preventing excessive tire temperature rise and degradation during his stint. Lando Norris experienced a slight drop-off in performance during the last 10 laps of his stint, which helped facilitate Oscar Piastri’s catch-up and increased pressure.
The best middle stint belonged to Max Verstappen, who was able to exploit his Red Bull RB21’s potential on hard tires and a clear track after successfully passing Lewis Hamilton. The Dutch driver chose to run a two-stop race strategy, improving his lap times after lap 12 while running on hard tires. However, Max Verstappen struggled significantly during the early part of this stint, losing nearly 2 seconds per lap to Lando Norris, and appeared somewhat resigned and cautious in his race approach given the circumstances.
Leclerc hampered by technical problems
The final stint of the race proved to be extremely challenging and complex for Charles Leclerc, who was unable to maximize the potential of the Ferrari SF-25 due to several compounded technical issues and setbacks. Telemetry data from the car revealed unusual anomalies related to fuel management, forcing the Monegasque driver to lift off the throttle earlier than he had done during his middle stint, resulting in slower lap times.
There was also the matter of an engine mapping mode that had rarely been used in recent years, combined with intermittent power cuts. Something within the power unit malfunctioned during the race, and managing these problems complicated matters greatly for both the driver and the Ferrari technical team. The tire pressure situation was equally problematic, with consumption figures and pressures appearing far from accurate or optimal. At that point in the race, the damage was already done with no chance of recovery or improvement.
If the Maranello team indeed decided to adjust tire pressures during the race, it was likely related to the activation and use of the hard tires. However, this remains speculation, as Ferrari was very careful not to disclose the full truth behind these issues. What is clear is that Charles Leclerc’s lap times in the final stint were on average 0.2 seconds slower than in the previous middle stint, indicating the clear impact of the problems.
Nevertheless, there is a positive takeaway for the Ferrari team. This positive note refers to the strong ability, before the problems arose, of Charles Leclerc and the SF-25 car to manage tire degradation effectively, maintaining a race pace that prevented the McLaren from overtaking. This does not mean the Ferrari SF-25 is on the same performance level as the McLaren MCL39, of course. However, there may be a noticeable and encouraging performance improvement compared to earlier races. Confirmation of this progress is expected at the Dutch Grand Prix, where it is presumed the Italian cars will not face similar issues and can run at full potential.
Overall, despite the setbacks during the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Ferrari SF-25 showed promising signs in key areas such as tire management and race pace consistency, which could form a solid foundation for the remainder of the Formula 1 World Championship season. Fans and analysts alike will be closely watching how Ferrari adapts and evolves its strategy and car setup as the 2025 Formula 1 campaign continues, especially at upcoming circuits like Zandvoort, where Ferrari hopes to confirm their progress and challenge the top teams once again.
If Ferrari manages to resolve the ongoing power unit concerns and fine-tune their tire pressure strategy, Charles Leclerc and his teammate Lewis Hamilton could be in a strong position to capitalize on the SF-25’s underlying strengths. The Hungarian Grand Prix served as a reminder of the challenges still ahead, but also as a signal that Ferrari is making tangible strides forward in their quest to regain competitiveness and fight for wins and podiums throughout the rest of the season.
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