Charles Leclerc: Ferrari “going in the right direction” as he dodges Hungary issue

Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari are still “going in the right direction” but avoided addressing the issue that left him struggling for pace during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ferrari have failed to live up to expectations in F1 2025.

Of the top four teams, Ferrari are the only constructor without a grand prix victory.

Leclerc has scored five podiums and one pole position, but hasn’t stood on the top step since Texas last year.

On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Lewis Hamilton’s form has been poor, with his best finish being just fourth.

Ferrari’s recent upgrades have improved their competitiveness, making them the second-fastest team behind McLaren.

They also handed Frederic Vasseur a contract extension, ending speculation around his future.

Leclerc believes the decision to give Vasseur a new deal is important for Ferrari moving forward into the new rules in 2026.

“For sure, I mean, I’m sure that this has played an important part in just giving serenity to the team,” Leclerc said.

“Obviously when there are these kind of rumours as a team, you’re always trying to be completely unemotional and not being attached to these kind of rumours and just to not listen to them. But I’m sure that it has some kind of influences when there are these kind of things in the air.

“It was good and I think it’s great for the stability of the team. And Fred is great, has a very clear vision on what he wants to achieve and we are both super aligned - and not only us but the whole team. We’re going in the right direction.”

Leclerc on Hungary

The Hungarian GP was arguably Charles Leclerc’s best chance of victory this season.

Leclerc led the race from pole position, but his pace dropped considerably after his second pit stop.

Oscar Piastri quickly overtook him and then George Russell, meaning Leclerc ultimately finished fourth.

Ferrari blamed a chassis-related issue for his lack of pace.

However, Russell posed an interesting theory that Ferrari were managing their plank wear at the end of the race.

Leclerc was asked about the issue and Russell’s theory on Thursday at Zandvoort.

Leclerc said: “I am not going to comment on that. I don’t really mind about what George said after the race. The situation is a lot more complex than he portrayed. I am not going to comment too much.

“As I said after Budapest, we’re not going to go into the details of what happened. It’s something that we’re trying to fix and we’re all working towards. The only thing I can say it’s a lot more complex than that.”