Charles Leclerc is keeping the pressure on Ferrari to not ease up on development for the second half of the 2026 season. Speaking after the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished fourth, the Monegasque driver stressed that maintaining an aggressive upgrade programme will be crucial if the Scuderia wants to challenge for honours. With updates having become significantly more impactful than in years gone by, Leclerc reckons Ferrari can't afford to take their foot off the gas as rivals continue to evolve their cars.

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The Ferrari driver pointed to McLaren's recent performance gains at Budapest as a prime example of just how much a strong development push can swing momentum in a season. Leclerc told media that staying on top of the upgrade curve has become absolutely essential. He said the team needs to keep the same intensity and hunger with their development programme that's gotten them this far, because the gaps between competitors are closing fast and any complacency could cost them dearly.

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Leclerc also aired frustration over Ferrari's inconsistency across recent races. While the team impressed at Silverstone and Spa with Lewis Hamilton performing brilliantly, their showing in Hungary left plenty to be desired at a track they'd expected to dominate. The driver highlighted a lack of consistency within individual races too, with the car behaving unpredictably across different stints and conditions. He acknowledged this is been a tricky year for the team in certain areas, with performance swings that don't always correlate with setup changes or external factors.

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The championship battle remains wide open heading into the summer break, with plenty of racing still to come. Ferrari's willingness to keep pushing hard on development could prove the difference between winning and losing when it really matters. Leclerc's message is clear: Ferrari can't afford to rest on their laurels if they want to fight for glory in the second half of the season.

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