Ferrari’s Hungarian Grand Prix realistically targeted fourth and fifth place, positions to be achieved by getting the better of Lewis Hamilton. The target was partly achieved, but at the same time there is an air of a missed opportunity. The error made by Max Verstappen when braking for turn 1 (while he was in a fight with Hamilton) unexpectedly opened the doors to the podium, an opportunity promptly seized by Mercedes. Moral: Ferrari on the Hungaroring was not hit by bouncing like at Silverstone, but remained fourth force.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Ferrari
Overall, the SF-24 was more competitive in the race than in a single fast lap. In the first stint of the race, Leclerc (who made a great start) was three seconds behind Verstappen and two behind Hamilton after fifteen laps, then his strategy (which called for a longer stint than his two opponents) brought him back on track on lap 23, seven seconds behind Max and 12 behind Lewis.
At this stage, with the hard tyres, Leclerc was at his best, able to recover ground on both opponents in the space of fifteen laps. “The plan was for Charles to stay on the track for several more laps,” Vasseur explained after the race, “but at a certain point we were blocked by Max and Lewis and it didn’t make sense to stay behind them without trying something. So we stopped to try the undercut, but unfortunately Lewis also stopped at the same time.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
The fourth and sixth final places are a loot that keeps afloat, but Vasseur wanted to underline some positive aspects. The first is the effort made in Maranello to bring on the track a modified bottom that was not in the plans, then he analyzed the performance of Leclerc and Sainz.
“Just to be clear – he specified – I’m not happy with the result we got, but at the same time we made a good step forward in terms of competitiveness compared to Silverstone. We have to continue in this direction, today the gap between the top cars is two or three tenths, we finished the race 20 seconds behind in 70 laps, or less than three tenths per lap if you consider the five seconds we accumulated at the end of the first lap”.
“Now, we don’t have to change things drastically but take small steps forward. Sometimes it’s a bit difficult because when you’re in fifth and sixth position you feel like you’re miles away from the leaders, and you think you need to make drastic changes. But that’s not how you climb back up, but with small steps forward.”
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
What has restored the team’s confidence is the improvement in driveability, the critical front that emerged at Silverstone. The consistency seen especially in Leclerc’s race was linked to the absence of bouncing and to a tire management that did not highlight any critical issues.
“This aspect makes us more optimistic,” Vasseur confirmed. “I’m sure Spa will be a different story, but we will have something in our pocket. It was important to have some answers in the long stints, because when you don’t have confidence in the car, you tend to take a step back at every lap.”
The loss of second place in the Constructors’ standings did not hurt the Scuderia’s men too much. It was only a matter of time, the overtaking by McLaren (as unpleasant as it was) had already been metabolised given the difference in performance that was confirmed between the two teams since the day after the Monaco Grand Prix.
Considering the trend of the last races, for Ferrari the stage draw with Mercedes (20 points each) is not a verdict to be underestimated. For now the “Star” remains at -91 but a reaction is needed, because even if the margin is considerable, this world championship is proposing recoveries and escapes of great importance.
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