Charles Leclerc wants to temper expectations at Ferrari ahead of the Hungarian GP. The Scuderia was remarkably fast during the recent race weekends at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, two fast circuits where Mercedes was initially seen as the favorite. As a result, expectations for Budapest are high, also because both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have performed strongly at the Hungaroring in the past.
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Nevertheless, the Monegasque doesn’t want to celebrate too early when it comes to Ferrari’s chances for the upcoming weekend. “It could be that we perform strongly, but it could also not be; we’ll only know when we get there. I think it’s very difficult to predict the performance level of each team,” he emphasized to the press in Belgium. “I remember well what the general feeling was heading into Monaco, and when we arrived there, we underperformed and didn’t meet expectations. So I think we need to be cautious. We just need to do our homework well, just like we do at every circuit.”
“What we have done particularly well over the past two weekends is ensuring that we make optimal use of our package, and that is the mentality we need to maintain for Budapest, without worrying about expectations,” said Leclerc. The 28-year-old driver looks back on two strong races, in which he twice outperformed his teammate. “I am convinced that I have taken a step forward,” he admitted. “But I am not yet performing at the level I aspire to. Some characteristics of the car make my driving style not feel very natural yet. As a result, I am sometimes a bit slower, so I definitely need to keep working on that.”
“Within your own driving style, you can never assume that you will get the same power delivery every lap,” Leclerc concluded emphatically. “That is perhaps the most frustrating thing about these cars.”
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Nothing is a given
Team boss Fred Vasseur also refrained from making a prediction for the Hungarian GP. He explained that many teams will introduce upgrades, which could shift the balance of power again. “I have no expectations, none at all,” he laughed. “No, because everyone is coming with upgrades. Moreover, it’s all about execution: tire management, car setup, and the circuit layout. I think if we put in the same qualifying performance as in Spa, that will pay off, but it’s not a given. Every weekend we start all over again.”
“On paper, circuits like Silverstone and Spa are probably a bit trickier,” Vasseur acknowledged. “But on the other hand, we didn’t perform so well in Monaco. That means we have to keep pushing, keep using the same approach, and never think it will happen by itself. Because it never does.”
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