George Russell offers theory on Charles Leclerc’s sudden drop-off at Hungarian GP. George Russell offers a theory about Charles Leclerc’s dramatic drop in pace at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Mystery in Budapest
Charles Leclerc went from leading the Hungarian Grand Prix and fighting for victory to falling off the podium within a short period of time. The Ferrari driver explained after the race that he experienced a chassis issue during the final stint of the race, which made him feel like a mere passenger in a Ferrari SF-25 that had suddenly become uncompetitive and difficult to handle.

George Russell, who managed to overtake Charles Leclerc and clinch a third-place finish—an impressive and somewhat unexpected result for the Mercedes team—offered his own theory on what could have caused Charles Leclerc’s dramatic pace drop. The overtaking manoeuvre was not without controversy, as Leclerc moved under braking and received a five-second time penalty. Despite that, Russell went on to claim the final spot on the podium and later speculated about what might have happened with Charles Leclerc’s car: “I believe they were right on the limit with the wear on the floor, and they had to increase the tyre pressures in order to raise the car a little off the ground. That’s the only explanation that makes sense,” said George Russell when speaking to the media after the race.

The possible adjustment of tyre pressures would have had a minimal impact during the first pit stop, as the car would still have had a significant amount of fuel onboard, reducing its sensitivity to ride height changes. However, the same cannot be said for the second pit stop: at that point in the race, with the fuel load much lighter, any increase in tyre pressures would have had a much more pronounced effect on the handling and performance of the SF-25.

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur addressed the situation by stating that what was being discussed via radio with Charles Leclerc during the race referred to an issue that cost around one-tenth of a second per lap. However, the mysterious chassis problem that emerged in the final part of the race reportedly cost the Monegasque driver up to two full seconds per lap, severely limiting his ability to defend and attack in the closing stages of the Grand Prix.