Charles Leclerc expresses satisfaction with his fourth-place finish in Budapest. The Monegasque driver had hoped to compete with Lewis Hamilton for the third spot, but the dirty air from the W15 made overtaking too challenging for Leclerc. The six-time Grand Prix winner acknowledges that Ferrari can significantly improve, especially during the qualifiers.
Leclerc achieved his best result since his victory in Monaco with his fourth-place finish in Hungary. According to the Monegasque driver, the race at the Hungaroring went better than expected. “I felt the pace was quite high. On a circuit like Budapest, it’s very difficult to overtake, but we were in a good position,” Leclerc told Motorsport Week.
During the first two stints, the SF-24 was strong, and Ferrari made the right strategic choice during the last stint. “We had to make a choice for the last stint: either we went into the pit lane with Lewis and took over Max’s place, or we stayed with Max. We decided to come in, which I think was not a bad choice.” Ferrari then put the Monegasque on a set of used mediums, which made the last stint “very challenging.”
Leclerc’s Struggles in the Race’s Final Phase
During the final phase of the race, Leclerc found himself in the front row amidst the battle between Verstappen and Hamilton. Ideally, Leclerc would have liked to compete with Hamilton, but the turbulence in the Brit’s wake made overtaking difficult. “We expected to be very close to Hamilton’s Mercedes. However, I felt they had a bit of a lead. On a circuit where dirty air is so crucial, it’s so disadvantageous for the car behind. I did feel that I could follow well, so I think we had a strong car,” Leclerc explained.
Ferrari Still Lacks Speed
Despite Ferrari’s pace being satisfactory, Leclerc believes there are still improvements needed. “I mean, looking at the bigger picture, we’re still lacking a lot of speed in the qualifiers. Especially compared to our main competitors. On circuits like this, we pay the price,” the six-time Grand Prix winner explained. Leclerc is eagerly waiting to see how the SF-24 will perform at Spa-Francorchamps.
