Charles Leclerc’s Hungarian Grand Prix was marred by yet another bout of Ferrari misfortune, as team radio revealed his growing frustration over persistent mechanical issues that compromised his race. The Monegasque driver, who had been eyeing a strong result in Budapest, found himself battling far more than just rivals on track.
Throughout the race, Leclerc’s radio exchanges painted a clear picture of mounting exasperation. Complaints about inconsistent power delivery and sluggish gear shifts dominated his messages to the Ferrari pit wall. At one point, Leclerc was heard bluntly stating, “The car is undriveable like this,” a rare public display of emotion from the typically composed driver. These comments underscored the severity of the performance drop-off he was experiencing.
Ferrari later confirmed that Leclerc’s car was suffering from a combination of gearbox irregularities and an electrical fault affecting engine modes. The timing of the failure could not have been worse, arriving just as Leclerc was poised to mount an undercut strategy against midfield competitors. The loss of performance forced the team to revise their race plan entirely, costing him vital seconds and track position.
This latest setback compounds a season already riddled with operational blunders and technical inconsistencies for Ferrari. While the team has shown flashes of speed in qualifying trim, reliability remains a glaring weakness that continues to undermine their race-day execution. For Leclerc, the recurring pattern of mechanical issues is becoming an all-too-familiar storyline, fueling speculation about his long-term confidence in Ferrari’s project.
Speaking post-race, Leclerc attempted to maintain composure but didn’t hide his disappointment: “It’s frustrating because the potential is there, but these problems keep holding us back. We need to fix this quickly if we want to fight for anything.” As the season heads into its crucial phase, Ferrari faces mounting pressure to resolve its reliability woes before they completely derail what once promised to be a competitive campaign.
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