Why it matters:
Charles Leclerc's Ferrari has been subjected to post-race checks five times this season, more than any other driver on the grid. This heightened scrutiny follows comments from George Russell, who alluded to Ferrari's 'illegality' after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The details:
Leclerc had a strong chance to win at the Hungaroring, starting from pole position, but his race pace and performance significantly declined after his second pit stop, ultimately leaving him in fourth place.
During the Dutch GP media day, Leclerc was directly questioned about Russell's remarks. He firmly stated, "I’m not going to comment on that. I don’t really mind about what George said after the race." He elaborated, "The situation is a lot more complex than what he portrayed, but I’m not really going to comment too much."
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur confirmed that after explaining the issues to Leclerc, the driver understood the situation. Vasseur added, "As we’ve said after Budapest, we are not going to go into the details of exactly what happened. It’s something that we are trying to fix and that we are working towards. But the only thing I can say is that it’s a lot more complex than that."
What's next:
Leclerc admitted that the underlying issues will "still be around," but emphasized that Ferrari is actively working to "fix them and deal with them in a different manner."