Ferrari feared Charles Leclerc might not finish Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix after the Monegasque, who started on pole position, suffered a dramatic loss of performance after his second pitstop.

“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.

Charles Leclerc has delivered one of the funniest driver soundbites of the season, offering a tongue-in-cheek explanation for why Hungary continues to be one of his least successful tracks. The Monegasque driver was asked why the Hungaroring seemed such a challenge for him despite its similarities to Monaco — a circuit where he often excelled.