Leclerc’s ‘quite strange’ pace collapse leaves Ferrari baffled

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has admitted the team is still searching for answers for Charles Leclerc’s stunning performance collapse during his final stint in last Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Monegasque claimed a surprise pole position on Saturday at the Hungaroring, outpacing both McLarens and holding the lead for much of the opening stages of the race.

But what began as a potential victory bid quickly deteriorated into a damage-limiting fourth-place finish – a result that has left Ferrari scrambling for explanations.

A Promising Start Derailed

Leclerc’s pole had given Ferrari a rare front-row advantage in a season dominated by McLaren, and the Monegasque executed a strong launch to maintain his lead off the line. His pace remained competitive through the first two stints, despite Oscar Piastri’s aggressive undercut attempt and Lando Norris’ alternate strategy.

But following his second pit stop, everything began to unravel. Leclerc’s pace nosedived dramatically, and he was swiftly overtaken by Piastri and then by Mercedes’ George Russell.

Adding insult to injury, he was slapped with a five-second penalty for moving under braking as Russell made his pass – a desperate attempt by Leclerc to hang on to a podium that was slipping away.

Vasseur admitted post-race that the team was mystified by the sudden loss of performance.

“I must say that the situation was quite strange, that we were under control the first 40 laps of the race, that we are very in control the first stint, a bit more difficult the second one, but it was still manageable,” Vasseur explained.

“And the last stint was a disaster, very difficult to drive, that balance was not there and honestly we don't know exactly what's happened so far.”

A Team’s Bewilderment

The extent of the issue was such that Vasseur feared the #16 Ferrari might not even reach the chequered flag.

“It means that we have to investigate if we have something broken on the chassis side or whatever,” he continued. “But at one stage I thought that we will never finish the race. We can be lucky in this situation to score points of a P4.”

After the race, speculation had swirled in the paddock after Russell, who had spent several laps on Leclerc’s gearbox before overtaking the Ferrari driver, suggested ride-height issues were to blame. But Vasseur denied this, instead indicating that the team suspects a possible chassis problem.

Despite the dramatic fall-off, Leclerc was quick to dismiss the idea that Hungary signals a deeper, systemic issue.

“No, it was a one-off,” Leclerc said. “We need to look at it for it to never ever happen again, because the car was just undriveable. But I don't think it's something that we'll have anywhere else again.”

• Read also: Russell suggests Ferrari slowed Leclerc to dodge technical breach

Still, the result was hard to digest for a team that had finally tasted a front-row start and genuine race-leading pace.

“It's really frustrating for us because I think we did the first pole position of the season,” Vasseur said. “The first two stints went pretty well, and we lost completely the pace and the pace of the weekend on the last run.”

With F1’s summer break now underway, the team will have time – but also mounting pressure – to ensure Leclerc’s sudden fall from the front doesn’t become a recurring theme.

But it’s clear Ferrari left Budapest with more questions than answers – and a reminder that even on a day that starts with pole, disaster can strike without warning.

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