P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell secured Mercedes a much-needed podium with third place in Hungary, although was helped by a shock Charles Leclerc pace loss.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, George Russell disclosed that Mercedes suspected Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari was on the brink of being “illegal,” causing his sudden loss of pace to avert disqualification. Leclerc, initially starting from pole position, led for a substantial portion of the race before experiencing a downfall following his final pit stop. This drop in performance allowed Oscar Piastri and Russell to overtake him swiftly. Russell expressed Mercedes’ concerns that Ferrari may have adjusted the car to the ground to potentially circumvent plank wear regulations, impacting Leclerc’s speed towards the end of the race. Despite Leclerc’s frustration during the race and subsequently receiving a time penalty, the issue was hinted to be related to potential regulatory breaches regarding plank wear and tire pressures.
