Ferrari's Hungarian Grand Prix meltdown has completely rewritten the narrative at Maranello. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were supposed to dominate the Hungaroring, a circuit that should've played perfectly into the SF-26's strengths with its tight corners and high downforce demands. They even topped both practice sessions, but come race day, reality hit hard. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had other ideas, with Norris taking pole by just 0.012 seconds and then winning the race while Hamilton picked up a five-second penalty and Leclerc limped home fourth.

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What's really telling is how Ferrari's whole approach has shifted heading into the Dutch Grand Prix. According to Motorsport.com's Italian edition, there's now genuine caution at the Scuderia. Nobody at the factory is willing to call themselves favorites at Zandvoort anymore, even though the circuit's characteristics should suit their car. This is a massive statement. Ferrari were the favorites at Monaco too, and that was another disaster. Two races where everything looked perfect on paper, two races where McLaren, Red Bull, and now even Mercedes have shown they've got the better machines.

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The team's kept the Maranello factory running through the first week after Hungary to prepare upgrades for the Dutch GP before the mandatory summer break kicks in. Leclerc's already hinted at improvements coming to Zandvoort, but realistically, most of Ferrari's work will be circuit-specific tweaks. They're ditching the three-tier rear wing element they ran in Hungary because it simply won't be needed in the Netherlands. It's damage control rather than a genuine leap forward.

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Hamilton and Leclerc just didn't have the pace to compete with the McLarens or Max Verstappen last time out. The SF-26 proved to be a total flop when it mattered most. Even though Zandvoort traditionally suits Ferrari's setup philosophy with its short straights and twisty sections, expectations have been properly reset. The reality check has been brutal, and Maranello knows it. Going from being the dominant favorite to just hoping both cars finish is quite the comedown.

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