Ferrari under no illusions: "They will be strong in the race"

Ferrari were beaten by George Russell in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team had a scare despite the loss, as Max Verstappen was unable to compete in Q3 due to engine problems. Ferrari race director Laurent Mekies says the team is under no illusions.

They still expect a strong Red Bull. Verstappen will start from P10 and Sergio Perez from P11, but Ferrari's focus will still be on Red Bull Racing's rivals tomorrow during the race. Speaking to Viaplay, Mekies first takes time to assess the threat from Mercedes : "Well done to George. It's his first pole. We have been saying for quite a while now that this will become a three-way fight sooner or later. They're getting closer."

On tomorrow's race, the Ferrari chief says: "We're going to be very focused on where te red bulls are. Not sure what happened to them today. We know it's difficult for everyone. Tomorrow, they'll start a bit further back, but we're under no illusions; they will be strong in the race. Its possible that we see a safety car in any phase of the race and they could be right back with us."