Charles Leclerc has revealed an issue with his chassis was behind the alarming loss of pace that saw him miss out on a podium in Formula 1 ‘s Hungarian Grand Prix. Leclerc held onto the lead at the start and remained ahead during the opening two stints until a sudden drop in his lap times saw him trundle home in a distant fourth.

“What?!” Leclerc replied to his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, after being told the result. He laughed to himself afterwards: “Mamma mia. My God!” The bemusement initially hidden by Leclerc’s helmet remained etched on his face after he hopped out of his car and celebrated with his team.