Charles Leclerc continues his determined quest for a first Formula 1 race victory with Ferrari in the 2025 season. The challenge remains particularly demanding, especially considering that McLaren is still widely regarded as the strongest and most consistent competitor on the grid. Nevertheless, overtaking opportunities at the Hungaroring are difficult but not entirely out of the question, and the Ferrari team from Maranello appeared to have a concrete opportunity to achieve their long-awaited objective—provided that everything was executed flawlessly during the Grand Prix. On the other hand, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was once again forced to prepare for a race of damage limitation, attempting yet another comeback after a frustrating and difficult start to his weekend.
Let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the Italian side in Hungary. As the Formula 1 drivers lined up on the starting grid, the usual last-minute instructions were issued to the Ferrari garage and relayed to Charles Leclerc via team radio. These directives focused particularly on tyre strategies and the correct approach to the race start procedure. For the time being, the weather conditions remained favourable and stable, although there was still uncertainty about whether this would hold throughout the duration of the Hungarian Grand Prix. All technical checks on the SF-25 car driven by Charles Leclerc were successfully completed—these included thorough inspections of the power unit, gearbox transmission, energy recovery hybrid system, and the brake system. Everything appeared to be functioning optimally, and the only thing left was to wait for the red lights to go out.
Starting from a less advantageous grid position, Lewis Hamilton opted to begin the race with the Hard compound Pirelli tyres. In contrast, Charles Leclerc selected the Medium compound tyres for his Ferrari. When the lights went out, the Monegasque driver launched well off the line and managed to hold onto his starting position without losing ground. Lewis Hamilton, however, lost some momentum going into Turn 1, running slightly wide in the process. This minor error allowed Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli to overtake the British driver. By the end of Lap 4, Charles Leclerc was successfully maintaining the pace of Oscar Piastri, who was approximately two seconds ahead of him.
Tyre degradation and management became especially important in Turn 11, a demanding corner where Charles Leclerc’s race engineer Bryan Bozzi advised him not to push excessively in terms of cornering speed. This was to avoid placing unnecessary stress on the tyres. Lewis Hamilton, stuck in a tightly packed midfield group of drivers and part of a DRS train, was asked by his race engineer about the condition of his tyres and whether he was using fuel-saving techniques such as lift-and-coast—an approach similar to what he had used during the Belgian Grand Prix. While sometimes criticised by fans and analysts, this strategic technique was necessary to keep the tyres within the optimal operating temperature window on this occasion.
The DRS train, particularly long and difficult to escape on a tight and twisty circuit like the Hungaroring, posed significant risks and strategic dilemmas for Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc continued to display a strong and consistent rhythm, building confidence lap after lap. By Lap 6, the Ferrari driver had opened up a gap of approximately three seconds over Oscar Piastri. Charles Leclerc remained calm and composed, staying quiet over the radio and fully focused on his driving. By contrast, Lewis Hamilton was far more active on the team radio, needing to carefully manage his tyres and overall race strategy in real-time.
Strategic decisions and engine mapping debates inside the Ferrari pit wall
On Lap 19, the McLaren team made their move by calling Oscar Piastri into the pit lane in an attempt to perform an undercut on Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari team reacted swiftly and decisively, bringing in Charles Leclerc on the very next lap to counter the strategic move and prevent losing track position. The Italian team’s decision proved effective, and Charles Leclerc rejoined the track still ahead of the Australian driver. Ferrari opted to equip the SF-25 with a fresh set of Hard compound tyres, with the clear intention of reaching the chequered flag without needing an additional stop.
Charles Leclerc made quick work of overtaking veteran driver Fernando Alonso and then settled back into his own race pace. Meanwhile, Lando Norris stayed out longer on track, choosing a different strategy that allowed him to maintain a significant lead of around twelve seconds over Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton, who had still not made his first pit stop at this stage of the race, had moved up several positions on track and was running in eleventh place, directly behind rookie driver Isack Hadjar. The British driver reported over the radio that he was feeling comfortable with the current tyre compound, which appeared to be working well under the specific conditions of the day.
Charles Leclerc then entered a phase of tyre and race management, choosing not to push to the absolute limit but gradually reducing the gap to Lando Norris, who with 26 laps to go still held an eight-second advantage. Lando Norris appeared to be following a one-stop strategy for the Grand Prix. For Charles Leclerc, however, it became increasingly evident that a two-stop strategy would be necessary. This set the stage for a likely head-to-head battle on track between the Ferrari and the McLaren driver. During this phase of the race, Charles Leclerc’s radio communications revealed growing frustration.
He complained that several previously discussed issues had not been addressed or corrected by the team. Charles Leclerc warned that the current technical situation could jeopardise any hope of winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, with particular concern over the engine mapping, which was subsequently adjusted to increase the performance level and power output of the Maranello-built engine. During this time, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton, putting additional pressure on the British driver.
Technical setbacks slow Charles Leclerc and reshape the outcome of the race
By the halfway point of the race, Charles Leclerc was leading, with Oscar Piastri trailing by three seconds. Both drivers were now on identical strategies. Lando Norris, running in third position, was 17 seconds behind and had not made another pit stop. On Lap 41, the Ferrari team decided to call Charles Leclerc into the pits for his second stop, fitting a new set of Hard compound tyres. Oscar Piastri stayed out on track for an additional three laps before making his stop. Lewis Hamilton also made his pit stop during this time and rejoined the race in sixteenth position.
By Lap 46, Lando Norris had taken over the lead of the Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc in second place and trailing by just over seven seconds. However, lapped traffic and slower cars began to hinder the Monegasque driver’s progress. Due to poor timing from the Ferrari pit wall, Charles Leclerc found himself caught behind backmarkers at a critical point in the race. According to the Monegasque, this unfortunate situation cost him around five seconds in total race time.
Lewis Hamilton continued his quiet and uneventful race, running in fifteenth position. He admitted via team radio that he was unclear about what the team expected from him at that stage. Nevertheless, the British driver managed to overtake Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, moving up to thirteenth. On Lap 51, Oscar Piastri made his move and overtook Charles Leclerc, as the Ferrari driver could no longer match the rapid pace of the McLaren cars. In response, Charles Leclerc once again vented his frustrations over the radio.
The Monegasque driver stated openly that he would have chosen a different strategic approach had he been fully informed about the technical issue affecting his SF-25 chassis. At this point, his Ferrari had become almost undriveable, and simply finishing on the podium would now represent a satisfactory outcome given the circumstances. Aggressive fuel-saving measures—including severe lift-off techniques—further compromised his pace, leaving Charles Leclerc only able to push when George Russell began to close in behind him.
However, Charles Leclerc’s efforts to defend his position were short-lived. George Russell’s Mercedes eventually passed him. To make matters worse, Charles Leclerc received a five-second time penalty from the race stewards for an overly aggressive defensive manoeuvre earlier in the race. The exact reasons behind Leclerc’s performance drop remained unclear during the Grand Prix, but were clarified afterward. Charles Leclerc cited chassis problems as the main cause, while Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur also raised the possibility of incorrect tyre pressure settings being a contributing factor.
To start from pole position and finish only in fourth place was a painful result for Charles Leclerc. For Lewis Hamilton, the outcome was equally frustrating—he finished the race in twelfth place, the same grid slot he had started from. It was a challenging and disappointing weekend for both high-profile drivers. Now begins the mandatory three-week summer break enforced by the FIA, during which all Formula 1 teams must shut down their factories. This enforced pause will offer Ferrari a crucial window to analyse their errors, regroup, and return to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort with more solid preparation, refined strategies, and hopefully better results.
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