Charles Leclerc experienced a dramatic and unexpected drop in pace during the final stages of the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, despite having controlled much of the 70-lap race from the front.
The Ferrari driver stunned the paddock by securing pole position on Saturday, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.026 seconds in a closely contested qualifying session. Leclerc himself appeared surprised by the result and reportedly struggled to explain how he managed to clinch the top spot on the grid. However, changing track conditions toward the end of Q3 seemed to work in Ferrari’s favour. During the early stages of the race, Ferrari’s SF-25 appeared capable of fending off Piastri’s challenge, with Leclerc maintaining the lead for over 40 laps around the tight and twisty Hungaroring circuit.
As the race progressed into its final phase, Leclerc’s performance deteriorated significantly. He began to lose time at an alarming rate, and his frustration became evident over team radio communications. The Monegasque driver described the car as becoming practically “undrivable,” prompting widespread speculation among fans and analysts regarding what specific problem Ferrari might have been managing behind the scenes.
Leclerc ultimately slipped out of podium contention after being overtaken by Mercedes driver George Russell. In his post-race debriefs, Leclerc pointed to a potential chassis issue that Ferrari had attempted to manage during the race. This comment sparked renewed interest in the nature of Ferrari’s in-race decisions and technical limitations.
Former Formula 1 driver turned analyst Jolyon Palmer took a closer look at the incident on F1 TV and identified a key detail in Leclerc’s race data that may shed light on the sudden performance collapse. According to Palmer, Leclerc’s lap times fell off dramatically—by nearly three seconds per lap compared to the race leaders—suggesting the team had taken clear steps to manage a developing problem within the car.
Palmer identified two particular sections of the Hungaroring where Charles Leclerc appeared to be losing the most time. Analysis revealed that Leclerc had begun lifting and coasting earlier than usual, with a clear lack of acceleration towards the end of the main straight. Telemetry data showed that the Monegasque was not even shifting into eighth gear at that point—an unusual change, especially considering Ferrari’s strong straight-line speed during qualifying. A similar lack of performance was evident approaching Turn 4.
Palmer hypothesised that the root of the issue could lie with Ferrari’s energy deployment strategy, noting that Charles Leclerc seemed to have lost battery power for deployment in critical zones. He further suggested that Leclerc might have been wrestling with a loss of rear grip. While one theory involved the team adjusting the front wing angle during a pit stop to compensate for balance, Ferrari reportedly ruled out such a change, leading Palmer to propose the possibility of damage to the car—particularly aerodynamic components—as a more likely cause.
However, Palmer stated that he found the tyre pressure theory most plausible. This theory, originally floated by George Russell after the race, suggested that Ferrari had reduced Charles Leclerc’s tyre pressures in the final stint. The motive behind this, according to Russell, would have been to reduce plank wear and avoid a potential disqualification—something Ferrari has been particularly cautious about since their infamous double DQ at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier in the season.
Palmer supported Russell’s view, noting that during a standard pit stop, the only two adjustments that teams can realistically make are front wing angle and tyre pressures. He explained that while teams normally avoid lowering tyre pressures to such extremes—since it increases the risk of deflation—it also increases grip by expanding the contact patch with the asphalt. Lower pressures can also subtly raise the car’s ride height, which in turn reduces plank wear.
Palmer believed that, given the data, Ferrari’s changes likely involved lowering tyre pressures to mitigate plank wear, even if it meant compromising overall grip and balance. He acknowledged the possibility of some light chassis or floor damage contributing to the drop in pace, but maintained that the decision to alter the pressures seemed to align best with the performance data seen during the race.
Meanwhile, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson offered a different interpretation. He disagreed with the tyre pressure theory and proposed that Ferrari were instead managing structural damage to the car’s chassis—an issue that would significantly impair performance without being easily rectifiable during the race.
Still, Charles Leclerc’s angry tone on the team radio seemed to back the theory that something internal to the car’s configuration had changed. Rather than referencing any visible damage or contact, he specifically mentioned Ferrari managing a chassis-related issue. That pointed toward an in-race adjustment or degradation, rather than a sudden external factor such as debris or impact.
The episode at the Hungaroring has reignited questions around Ferrari’s technical consistency and race-day decision-making, especially in high-pressure scenarios. With the team already facing scrutiny for its aggressive ride height management and concerns over plank wear, Charles Leclerc’s sudden decline in Hungary may reflect deeper operational challenges within the Maranello-based squad as it works to adapt to the 2025 Formula 1 regulations.
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