Charles Leclerc has not got off to the best of starts at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. During Friday’s running, Leclerc got into a huge crash in FP2 and thus, brought an abrupt end to his session around the 4.3 km circuit.
While the Monegasque had a tough outing at the Hungaroring, he noticed how strong the two papaya challengers looked during the FP1 and FP2 sessions. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri showed solid pace during their respective outings.
Norris topped FP2 by a margin of +0.243s over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
What happened is that I ran a bit wide on the kerb, I got a snap in the middle of Turn 4 and lost the car on the kerb. It was my mistake, now it’s all about bouncing back. Until now, the car was pretty good. The feeling is getting better, we had a more consistent day compared to the last three or four weekends, so that’s a positive. We still seem to be behind McLaren, McLaren seem to be super strong this weekend.Charles Leclerc via Racingnews365
Charles Leclerc has showcased a positive outlook despite his crash and the strong pace of the McLaren F1 team around Hungaroring. He feels that the SF-24 is working fine in comparison to the issues he faced in recent races. Thus, Leclerc is optimistic about Ferrari’s chances.
Carlos Sainz feels Ferrari is in a ‘better shape’ around Hungaroring
While Leclerc has sounded positive despite his crash in FP2, his teammate, Carlos Sainz has also talked on the same lines. The Spaniard agrees with Leclerc and believes the SF-24 is working well in Budapest in comparison to the last few races.
The 29-year-old ended his Free Practice 2 outing in third place.
Positive Friday, and it is important because it is a track where it is difficult to set up the car. We seem to be in better shape this weekend, but it's only Friday; Tomorrow we will see better where we are.Carlos Sainz via X
🇭🇺Viernes positivo, y es importante porque es una pista en la que cuesta poner a punto el coche. Parece que estamos en mejor forma este fin de semana, pero sólo estamos a viernes; mañana veremos mejor dónde estamos.
–#CarlosSainz pic.twitter.com/TdT51PiERT
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 19, 2024The Fred Vasseur-led team has been on a torrid run since Monaco. But keeping in view the optimism that both the Ferrari drivers have shown, it is going to be fascinating to see how the outfit would perform in FP3 and the all-important qualifying session. Leclerc and Sainz’s quali outing could prove to be key in determining whether the duo would end their Hungary exploits on the podium or not.
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