Charles Leclerc expressed regret over his earlier frustrated radio messages during the Hungarian Grand Prix, clarifying that his issues stemmed from an undriveable Ferrari chassis problem rather than race strategy errors. The Monaco driver started from pole position on August 3, 2025, but ultimately finished fourth after struggling with a car issue in the closing laps, intensifying his Charles Leclerc Hungarian GP frustrations.
Leclerc’s Race Decline and Initial Radio Complaints
Leclerc began the Hungarian GP with strong prospects, having secured pole position ahead of the race. However, his performance declined sharply, especially after his second pit stop, where he lost pace and competitiveness. Frustrated, Leclerc voiced displeasure over Ferrari’s execution on the radio, suggesting pre-race decisions may have cost him a podium.
During the race, Leclerc remarked on the radio,
“I can feel what we discussed before the race… we need to discuss those things before doing them.”
As he continued to lose time, he added,
“We are going to lose this race with these things. We are losing so much time.”
His mood worsened after the pit stop, leading to the blunt observation, “This is so incredibly frustrating.”
He further expressed his dismay:
“We’ve lost all competitiveness. You just have to listen to me, I would have found a different way of managing those issues. Now it’s just undriveble. Undriveable. It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.”
During the final laps, Leclerc was overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell, dropping him to fourth place.
Post-Race Clarification and Explanation
After the race, Leclerc addressed the media to clarify his earlier comments, retracting his criticisms of Ferrari’s strategic choices and attributing his struggle to a technical fault in the car. He admitted he had spoken too soon during the race, unaware of the full details at that moment.
Leclerc explained,
“First of all, I need to take back the words I’ve said in the radio because I thought that it was coming from one thing, but then I got a lot more detail since I got out of the car.”
He revealed that the issue originated from the chassis, which progressively worsened from around lap 40, severely affecting the car’s performance.
“It was actually an issue coming from the chassis and nothing that we could have done differently. I started to feel the issue in Lap 40 or something like that, and then it got worse, laps after laps after laps, and towards the end we were two seconds off the pace. And the car was just undriveable.”
On the messages aired on Sky Sports F1, Leclerc reflected,
“I spoke too quickly, I guess.”
He did not provide further technical details but said Ferrari identified the fault only after the race concluded.
Leclerc’s Surprising Pole and Race Context
The Ferrari driver’s pole position was unexpected, especially considering Ferrari’s struggles this season. His qualifying performance shocked both the McLarens and other front-runners, raising hopes for a rare victory weekend. Leclerc acknowledged the magnitude of his frustrations given the opportunity the race presented.
He explained the situation further:
“I don’t know yet how it was caused, but we’ll look into it … I think it was quite tricky. Otherwise, I probably would have known and they would have told me. But yeah, apparently it wasn’t as obvious on data. However, now you can definitely confirm that there was a problem.”
Leclerc lamented the lost chance to win, given how well the early stages of the race had gone.
“This was an issue and it’s an outlier. It shouldn’t ever happen again. I mean, I’m still very disappointed. We had one opportunity this year to win a race, which I think was this weekend. The first stint was perfect. The first laps of the second stint was really good as well.”
He added,
“I think we were on pace to try and win that race. The last stint was a disaster when I started to have an issue in the chassis.”
Impact on Ferrari and Future Outlook
Leclerc’s experience at the Hungarian Grand Prix highlights ongoing challenges at Ferrari, a team still seeking consistent competitiveness this season. The chassis fault not only dashed Leclerc’s winning aspirations but also exposed vulnerabilities in car reliability that Ferrari must urgently address.
Despite the disappointment, this incident offers Ferrari crucial insight into unforeseen technical issues, which will likely shape adjustments for upcoming races. Addressing the undriveable chassis problem could be pivotal in restoring Leclerc’s performance to match his qualifying potential and reducing future Charles Leclerc Hungarian GP frustrations.
