The last race before the summer break concluded in Budapest, and it ended up featuring another Ferrari mistake that cost them the victory. On a day when Charles Leclerc was in a prime position to close the gap on his championship rival, he ended up leaving the track with his head in his hands.

The Monegasque started the Grand Prix in P3, while Verstappen started in P10, because of engine issues he faced in Qualifying. However, as the chequered flag dropped, the driver starting in P10 was the victor, and the driver in P3 did not even finish on the podium. This has resulted in many questioning the team’s strategy, including 5 time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid.

The 2022 NBA scoring champion is an avid follower of the pinnacle of motorsport. Even during the 2021 season, he was highly vocal while enjoying the scraps between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. However, now the Philadelphia 76ers player feels that with his knowledge about the sport, he has what it takes to execute an F1 race from the pit wall.

Following the Hungarian GP, he tweeted “I might as well be a Ferrari strategist right now lol.. every week is more incredible than the other,” talking a slight dig at the prancing horse.

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Crossing the chequered flag in the sixth position means 8 points for the Monegasque, while the defending world champion grabbed 25 points. The Red Bull ace has extended his lead to 80 points with 9 races to go. Do you think Ferrari’s slip-up would be the thorn in Leclerc’s side this season?

What transpired at the Hungarian GP that led to Joel Embiid offer a helping hand to Charles Leclerc and Ferrari?

Walking into round 13 of the championship, the F1 paddock expected the Ferrari to be the fastest team. The track featured a high downforce setup which is the strength of the F1-75. As a result, a 1-2 finish was on the cards for the Maranello outfit.

Leclerc drove a stellar race and put himself in contention for the win by overtaking the race leader, George Russell. Nevertheless, it was his final pit stop when all his hard work went down the drain because of a terrible choice of tires by the team.

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The Italian pit crew put on hard compound tires on car number 16. Around the Hungaroring, it was an uphill task to bring that rubber up to temperature and execute strong lap times with it. Moreover, Ferrari had the information about how those tires are not optimal by looking at the data of other cars in the race.

Yet, they went ahead with the strategy that came back to bite them in the dying stages of the race. The 24-year-old was practically a sitting duck with no pace to compete in the battles with his rivals. Henceforth, Verstappen and Russell overtook him for the lead and P6 is all he could salvage.

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Time and time again, we have emphasized how F1 is a team sport and the glory is not only down to the driver’s performance. The prancing horses need to make the most of this summer break to reset as with such mistakes they can not continue to fight for a championship.