Ferrari’s decision to put Charles Leclerc on heavy tires for the third time at the Hungarian Grand Prix was seen by many as a tactical error which cost him the race.
The tenacious Leclerc struggled to catch up straight away, passing championship rival Max Verstappen twice and had to make a third pit stop, leaving the former race leader sixth in the final.
However, the poor performance of the solid tire did not completely impress Ferrari. Transcripts of their radio messages show that Ferrari advised Leclerc to take care of the medium compound tires in the second lap, which could be extended, and warned that the hard tire would take longer to warm up than first expected. .
Ferrari were also concerned by Verstappen’s progress, starting 10th on the grid but managing to stay within seconds of Leclerc. Given the problems experienced by Haas and Alpena, Ferrari decided it was a risk worth taking, despite growing concerns over the performance of the hard tyre.
They were prompted to make this decision in part by a call they made earlier in the race. At Leclerc’s first time, Ferrari asked him how long he could maintain his current pace on medium tyres. Although he was told he could go for seven or eight laps and his lap times hardly dropped after that, Ferrari beat him after just two laps. That put him ahead of Verstappen but extended the latter’s lap, making the softer tire a less attractive option.
Had Ferrari not shortened Leclerc’s two early laps, he may have delayed his second pit stop to use softer tires rather than harder ones. That, of course, kept Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sanz-Jenner, once Leclerc’s bitter experience showed them that the performance of the hard tires was more than they feared.
Charles Leclerc’s radio messages during the French Grand Prix
Leclerc initially placed behind leader George Russell and Carlos Sainz Jr. Russell started the race on the soft tires and by the 10th lap the medium tire Ferraris were closing in on him.
Lap: 1 Position: 3 Lap: 1’30.984 Marcos Padros Debris turns two. A virtual safety car is deployed. Expect two rounds of debris. It’s on the racing line: lap: 2 position: 3 lap time: 1’54.855 Marcos Padros for the wreckage in turn two, racing line. Marcos Padros virtual safety car ends. Brake balance reset, K2 on. It will be turn three: Lap: 3 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’28.826 Marcos Padros and DRS activated: Lap: 4 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’23.573 Lap: 5 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.315 Marcos Padros and Easy to turn four and 11. S2 to turn six, comment. Lap: 6 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.187 Marcos Padros and easy entry turn 11. Lap: 7 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.103 Marcos Padros and the tires are ready. Easy turn with the tires 11 Sainz Lap time 24.0.Laps: 8 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.141 Marcos Padros and easily to 11. Lap: 9 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’23.818 Laps: 10 Position: 3 Lap time: 1 ‘24.124Marcos Padros and carefully release the brake to six. Good work by Marcos Padros for turning six. Laps: 11 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.148 Marcos PadrosTyre update when you can. LeclercI can’t get much closer than that. Tires are OK Marcos Padros Kopi.
Leclerc closed on Sainz faster than his team-mate on Russell, a point the chasing Ferrari driver ensured his team held. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen recovered from poor grid positions to overtake Norris to move into the top five.
Sainz and Verstappen responded immediately when Russell tried to ditch the soft tyres. Sainz later pointed out that his slow pit stop cost him a change to pass Russell, but of course there was nothing to choose between the total time spent in the pits.
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Lap: 12 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.077 Marcos Padros now the next car is Hamilton. He just passed Norris. Marcos Padros is the car behind the information and we have Hamilton with Verstappen. Time: 1’24.326 Marcos Padros and when you can improve LeclercOkay.Marcos PadrosOkay copy that. Russell 25.0.Laps: 15 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.407Marcos Padros and change the position to yellow.LeclercYeah we can wait for them too Lap: 16 Position: 2 Lap time: 1’25.005Leclerc[unclear]Marcos Padros Hamilton, 25.1. So Russell just spun. Lap: 17 Position: 1 lap time: 1’24.385LeclercYeah. Marcos Padros and Verstappen now crashed. Marcos Padros Sainz is now a boxer. Marcos Padros and change the position to grey.
As Sainz put it first of the two Ferraris, Leclerc’s logical choice was to adopt an alternative strategy where possible and run longer. Asked how far he could take his first set of tires at his current pace, Leclerc said they were good for at least seven more laps.
But after two laps Leclerc lapped the Ferrari a few tenths of a second slower. This ensured that Leclerc came in front of championship leader Verstappen and also jumped in front of his teammate. The pits are taking less seconds than the science.
Lap: 18 Position: 1 Lap: 1’23.792 Marcos Padros and we need five levels. And SOC four when you can. Lap: 19 Position: 1 Lap time: 1’23.911 Marcos Padros Verstappen Lap time 23.0, new media Marcos Padros How many more laps can you do at this speed, question. Leclerc is holding the tires for now. Difficult question though. I think around seven, eight. Lap: 20 Position: 1 Lap time: 1’24.262 Marcos Padros Dedd and Hamilton just in. Marcos Padros and SOC six. Marcos Padros data gap to Russell from 18.2 difference to Sainz 21.5. Lap: 21 : 1 lap time: 1’26.481Marcos Padros and now box, pit confirmation.LeclercCharles pit lane.Marcos PadrosCopy.Marcos Padros Can keep the K2 for two laps.
Leclerc, running on another set of medium compound tires, was now second behind Russell, who quickly caught him.
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Lap: 22 Position: 2 Lap time: 1’41.737 Marcos Padros tight with Sainz at the pit exit. Marcos Padros and reminder, slow entry on these tires. Marcos Padros and speed to Russell from tire four to five tenths. And easy entry four and 11. Lap: 23 Place: 2 Lap time: 1’22.995 Lap: 24 Place: 2 Lap time: 1’23.596 Marcos Padros and switch right for 14, comment. Lap: 25 Position: 2 Lap: 1’23.447 Lap: 26 Position: 2 Lap Time: 1’23.278 Lap: 27 Position: 2 Lap: 1’23.602
It took Leclerc several laps to overtake the Mercedes, but this time he lost crucial time to Verstappen. Leclerc took the lead, just five seconds behind Verstappen.
Lap: 28 Position: 2 Lap time: 1’24.560 Lap: 29 Position: 2 Lap: 1’24.278 Marcos Padros and tires are ready. : 1’23.003 Marcos Padros Good job. Marcos Padros look a little bit after these tires. Marcos Padros Fill up one turn away. Next will be the album in front. For his gap, 3.9.Laps: 32 Position: 1 Lap time: 1’24.278Leclerc It’s raining a bit.Marcos Padros Kopi. There should be only drops. Nothing more than that. And flashing blues for Albon ahead. Russell back 24.6.Laps: 33 Place: 1 Lap time: 1’23.365 Laps: 34 Place: 1 Lap time: 1’23.388 Marcos Padros and place White change.
A clear-air Leclerc gained another two seconds on Verstappen on lap 37. Meanwhile, Ferrari was chasing hard tires like Haas and Alpine, and Leclerc learned that the yard was about to use it for the third and final time. It wasn’t working out as well as they had hoped. Let him know.
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Lap: 35 Position: 1 Lap time: 1’23.498 Marcos Padros Flashing blues for Magnussen in front. Marcos Padros and information Warming up with the strong is better than expected. Marcos Padros and strong blues for Magnussen in front. And safety car window open Lap: 36 Place: 1 Lap time: 1’23.144 Lap: 37 Place: 1 Lap time: 1’23.453Leclerc[unclear] Rear tyre, let’s stay on it after the safety car Marcos Padros flashing blues for Lafi at the front. And we need step four.
Within a few laps, Verstappen made his second pit stop. Ferrari had two clear choices.
One was leaving Leclerc to adapt to the softs and sprint to the finish, which he risked dropping behind Verstappen and who may have been hurt by his shortened first stint. The alternative was to bring Leclerc straight away, ensure they stay ahead of Verstappen and risk running hard. They chose the latter.
Lap: 38 Position: 1 Lap time: 1’23.805 Marcos Padros Solid blues for Latifi front. Marcos Padros and when you can update tire level. And brake balance and a comment. Marcos Padros and Verstappen are now in. So Verstappen pulled out for an intermediate pit. Lap: 39 Position: 1 Lap Time: 1’26.324 Marcos Padros and box this lap. Well proof. Solid blues for Schumacher at the front.LeclercCharles, pit lane.Marcos PadrosTight with Perez on pit exit. And you can keep K2 until it turns five.
Leclerc immediately struggled to get the hard tires up to operating temperature. Verstappen passed. Ferrari reassured him that the performance of the hard tire would improve over time.
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Lap: 40 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’45.325 Marcos Padros So we have Perez and Verstappen behind him, Verstappen with a new intermediate. Marcos Padros Verstappen behind DRS.LeclercFuck, the tires are shit. Laps: 41 Position: 3′ Lap Time: 1′ 25.755 Marcos Padros still has a long race ahead of him.
Shortly after Verstappen passed Leclerc, the team was gifted. Verstappen made a rare driving mistake on lap 13.
With that, Leclerc moved back to the front. But, not for long, it changed. No doubt he wasn’t surprised by the performance of the solid tire. He pushed them, trying to coax them back to life, but once Verstappen passed Leclerc’s lap time he never recovered and soon Russell was closing in again.
Marcos Padros therefore has a gap of 1.2 to Verstappen. Lap: 42 Position: 3 Lap Time: 1’23.462 Marcos Padrosgap to Verstappen 1.3. And 28 rounds to go. Lap: 43 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’22.456 Marcos Padrosgap to Verstappen 0.8. Marcos Padrosgap to Verstappen 1.0. Marcos Padros Verstappen with DRS.Lap: 44 Position: 3 Lap: 44 Position: 3 Lap: 42 Time: 3 Lap: 42 Time: 3 Lap: 8. To Verstappen 0.7.Marcos PadrosVerstappen with DRS.Lap: 45 Position: 4 Lap time: 1’24.300LeclercThese tires are shit.LeclercAnd 25 laps left. Still a long way to go.Laps: 46 Place: 4 Lap time: 1’23.335Laps: 47 Place: 4 Lap time: 1’23.158 Marcos Padros single yellow turn two now clear: Lap: 48 Place: 3 Lap time: 1′ 23.163 Marcos Padros and flashing blues for Gasly in front of Verstappen. Lap: 49 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’23.509 Marcos Padros and three cars hit traffic on the next lap. Flashing blues for Gasly at the front.Laps: 50 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.334 Marcos Padros Flashing blues for Gasly at the front. face to face.
The Mercedes driver pressed on and eventually passed Leclerc. With that his patience snapped and he told the team to consider a change of strategy: a third pit stop, softer tyres.
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Lap: 51 Position: 3 Lap time: 1’24.152 Marcos Padrosgap to Russell 0.4 behind. Marcos Padros Russel from behind by DRS. Lap: 52 Position: 2 Lap time: 1’23.544 Marcos Padros and SOC seven go behind Padros. 0.5, flashing blues to Ricciardo in front. Marcos Padros Russell with DRS: 53 Position: 2 lap time: 1’24.154 Marcos Padros Gap to Russell 0.6. Marcos Padros Russell behind, DRS.LeclercConsider plan D. Think plan D. Offense. Marcos Padros copy. Lap: 54 Position: 4 Lap time: 1’27.578 Marcos Padros and box this lap. Let me know flap updates when you can.Leclerc[Unclear]Marcos Padros and Box Now, Box. Marcos Padros and SOC Six, K2 on until it folds one.
Neither their team-mates nor the Red Bull or Mercedes drivers touched the hard tire or went to the third pit stop. Leclerc dropped to sixth, with the race seemingly doomed, but fifth-placed Sergio Perez gave him what he needed.
Lap: 55 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’43.455 Marcos Padros That’s Latifi, strong blue for Latifi. And a slow introduction. FS1 when you can. And when you can SOC six. And waiting for some drops for the next two or three minutes. Marcos Padros try to follow the light. So the next car in front is Perez, 7.2 gap to Perez. And 15 laps to go, 15.lap: 56 position: 6 lap time: 1’22.687 lap: 57 position: 6 lap time: 1’21.622 lap: 58 position: 6 lap time: 1’21.988 lap: 59 position lap time: 1’21.762 Lap: 60 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’21.890 Marcos Padros and try to follow the lights. Lap: 61 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’22.090 Marcos Padros Tires pushing is no problem. We just have to follow the lights. Lap: 62 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’21.897 Lap: 63 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’22.392 Marcos Padros Solid blues for Ricardo in front and follow the lights Marcos Padros and rain expected for the last two laps. Gap in front of Ferez, 3.8.Laps: 64 Position: 6 lap time: 1’21.981 Marcos Padros switch position yellow. And six rounds to go. Rain is expected for one or two laps.Laps: 65 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’22.325 Lap: 66 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’22.230 Marcos Padros and back to race mode. Perez lap time 22.0.Marcos Padros flashing blues for Tsunoda in front. Four laps to go and load oil when you can.
Leclerc’s gains on Perez were gradual. But due to Valtteri Bottas’ retirement, the Virtual Safety Car’s timing brought him to the Red Bull’s tail late in the race.
However, the Ferrari never came close to striking, and a furious Leclerc finished the race half a second behind Perez.
Lap: 67 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’22.836 Marcos Padros and light rain expected from now on. Bottas stopped at turn 11. And update when you can. Lap: 68 Position: 6 Lap Time: 1’45.489LeclercOkay.Marcos PadrosSo Virtual Safety Car. Stay, stay. And the charging button is on. Leclerc, is the car safe? Marcos Padros stood up. And change the area yellow. Change the position to yellow LeclercCopy.Marcos Padros Everything looks good from the information Leclerc How many laps are left?Marcos Padros Stay, stay out, and two laps to go. Lap: 69 Position: 6 Lap time: 1’34.315 Marcos Padros virtual safety car finish. Virtual safety car ends. It will be in four rounds. K2 on.Marcos Padros and SOC two when you can.Marcos PadrosSlippery track 14. and DRS disables.LeclercLast lap?Marcos Padros last lap confirmed. Rain was reported at five, six and seven. Solid Blues for Stroll. Lap: 70 Place: 6 Lap Time: 1’24.304 Marcos Padros[Unclear]Finishing position: 6LeclercOh my god, the difficulties were so bad. That’s why I said I want to stick to the mediums as much as possible. LeclercThe hards were really bad. Was it the same for everyone or was it just for us? Marcos Padros was the same for everyone with Badu. Leclerc why did we go over it? I mean, what was the reason? Marcos Padros we…[unclear]LeclercOkay. Are we the only ones stopping Leclerc? Marcos Padros from the front runners, yes. Behind some people pit stops.LeclercCopy.
NB Some standard or repetitive messages such as lap times of competing drivers and gaps of other cars have been omitted.
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2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
Browse all 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix articles
