Charles Leclerc adopted a cautious tone before the Formula 1 Hungarian GP, and avoided placing Ferrari among the favorites for victory in Budapest. The Monegasque recalled that similar predictions had already surrounded the team in Monaco this season, but the result fell short of expectations.
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The characteristics of the Hungaroring often lead to comparisons with the Monte Carlo circuit, which has raised expectations around Ferrari for this weekend. Still, Leclerc emphasized that any prediction about the grid’s pecking order could be premature before the cars hit the track.
“We might be good, but we might also not be, and we’ll only know when we get there. I think it’s very difficult to predict the performance level of all the teams,” said the Monegasque.
Leclerc recalled the atmosphere surrounding Ferrari before the Monaco GP, when many pointed to the track as ideal for the SF-26. However, the reality was different, with Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli dominating the weekend, securing pole position and victory.
“I remember very well the general feeling before Monaco. We arrived there and performed below what everyone expected. We need to be cautious. We just have to do our job, as we do on all tracks,” he said.
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Despite the uncertainties for the Hungarian round, Ferrari has two victories this season, one with Leclerc and one with Lewis Hamilton. Although the team did not show its best performance in Belgium, the Monegasque driver praised the team’s ability to extract the maximum from the available package in recent races.
“What we did particularly well in the last two weekends was to ensure we maximized our package,” he continued. According to him, this approach needs to be maintained regardless of external expectations.
“That’s the mindset we must maintain for Budapest, without thinking about expectations,” concluded Leclerc, reinforcing that Ferrari’s priority is to repeat the work done recently and let the on-track performance determine where the team will truly stand in the fight for victory in the Hungarian GP.
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