On the list of Formula 1 circuits most suited to Charles Leclerc, he admits the Hungarian Grand Prix wouldn’t be near the top.
The Ferrari driver only has one top 10 finish in Budapest, that being fourth in 2019, and has never finished ahead of a teammate at the Hungaroring.
Explaining why Hungary seems to be such a weak track for him, Leclerc revealed how the twisty layout just doesn’t fit his eye.
“It’s a very difficult track, very technical, you need to be very, very smooth whereas I tend to have a bit more of an aggressive driving style,” he said on Thursday.
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“It looks like I’m struggling a bit more here compared to my teammates in the past – so I will work on that and try to maximise this weekend and try to make the best job possible.”
While the Hungaroring may not be so compatible with Leclerc, it would appear to be one of Ferrari’s last chances to really challenge Mercedes and Red Bull due to its technical nature.
“I feel like it can be a strong race for us, I don’t think we will be at the level of performance as we’ve seen in Monaco, but I hope we can at least be on top of the midfield which is the reality of where we’re fighting this year,” Charles predicted.
“So this is the most important target for this weekend and I think we are quite confident we can achieve that if we do a good job.”
Leclerc also arrives in Budapest after agonisingly missing out on victory two weeks ago at the British Grand Prix, where he was passed by Lewis Hamilton with two laps to go.
“I don’t reflect on it too much,” he claimed. “I just started to focus on here and that’s it.
“I tried to forget what happened and obviously it was frustrating because the win was so close and to lose the win so close to the end helps.
“But on the other hand, there are plenty of positives – being on the pace of the Mercedes, especially in the first stint. The second stint went a bit more in line with what we expected, but all in all, it was a very, very positive weekend for us.”