The last time we saw Charles Leclerc he was beating his steering wheel and cursing having crashed out of the German Grand Prix. Now, the Monegasque racer heads to the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix in search of redemption, still looking for his first Formula 1 race victory.
Leclerc was left furious after slipping wide and retiring at the Hockenheimring last time out, ending a run of four podium finishes. He is yet to win a race this year, despite leading late on in Bahrain and Austria, and now heads to the “frenetic” Hungaroring looking to make amends.
“The Hungaroring is definitely one of the most technical circuits of the season and there are aspects of it which remind me of a karting track,” says Leclerc. “The corners follow on from each other in quick succession and as a driver, you don’t even have much time to think. There is no part of it where you can catch your breath, because it is so frenetic.
“I personally like it, because it’s never easy to be competitive here. It is especially difficult to put together the perfect qualifying lap, because you have to push hard, while remembering to look after your tyres so that they last through the final sector.”
In only his second season of Formula 1, his first for Scuderia Ferrari, Leclerc has finished in the top five in all but two races, in both of which he crashed out.
Leclerc heads to Hungary fifth in the drivers’ standings, 105-points adrift of championship leader Lewis Hamilton. Scuderia Ferrari meanwhile, are coming under threat in the constructors’ title race, as Red Bull Racing have closed to within forty-four points of their second place, with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport a mammoth 148-points clear in the lead.
