Andrea Stella reveals McLaren’s key weakness in Hungary after Charles Leclerc’s pole. Charles Leclerc beat the McLarens to pole at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc delivered the biggest surprise of qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix by snatching pole position from under McLaren’s nose. For Team Principal Andrea Stella and the McLaren team, everything had pointed toward a front-row lockout by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—until a sudden shift in weather conditions turned the session on its head. On the highly technical layout of the Hungaroring, where aerodynamic downforce plays a crucial role, the Woking-based outfit had been dominant up to Q2. But then came the game-changer: the wind.

In the second qualifying segment, Lando Norris was leading the timesheets, with Oscar Piastri just half a tenth behind. Both McLaren drivers had broken the 1:15 barrier. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc found himself nearly six-tenths adrift in sixth place, having completed a scrappy and unconvincing lap.

However, everything changed at the start of Q3. A sudden and dramatic 90-degree change in wind direction transformed a light breeze into a strong headwind down the main straight, radically altering the track conditions.

McLaren slows down, Ferrari takes advantage

Data revealed that cars lost between 5 and 8 km/h in top speed on the straight due to the gusts. The result was a slower track overall, and almost all drivers failed to improve on their Q2 times. The exception was Charles Leclerc, who capitalized on the opportunity with a clean and precise lap—correcting the mistakes he had made on his previous attempt.

“We simulated the change in conditions between Q2 and Q3 and found a loss of about four-tenths,” explained McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella. “I think Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, after sensing the change, became a bit more cautious. When you’re in the middle of a championship fight, it’s natural to avoid taking unnecessary risks and just stay in the game.”

“Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, simply attacked the lap, and it worked out for him,” added Stella, giving credit to the Monegasque driver and Ferrari for executing a perfect final run. He acknowledged that their bold strategy paid off in full.

McLaren’s Achilles heel: wind sensitivity

Andrea Stella also suggested that the McLaren MCL39 might have a fundamental weakness—an aerodynamic sensitivity to changing wind conditions. “When we analyze the wind direction in certain corners, we observe specific patterns. In the areas where we lost the most time compared to Q2, we see consistent aerodynamic behavior,” he noted.

This statement highlights a possible vulnerability in McLaren’s 2025 Formula 1 package under variable weather conditions. Even so, both McLaren drivers will start from the top two rows of the grid—proof of the car’s strong baseline performance. However, it will be Charles Leclerc who leads the field when the lights go out at the Hungaroring.