Charles Leclerc ‘disappointed’ and Lewis Hamilton ‘gutted’ after difficult qualifying
Photo by Peter Fox/LAT Images Ferrari’s drivers are once again wondering what might have been after a frustrating qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix This was not the home qualifying session that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were hoping for. The historic Imola Circuit’s full name is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, after the founder of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, and his son Dino. The circuit is just down the road from Ferrari’s Maranello factory, and as one of two Formula 1 races in Italy, it serves as a home race for the Scuderia. This year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix took on added importance, as it plays host to Hamilton’s first home race with Ferrari. But both he and Leclerc failed to advance out of Q2 during qualifying on Saturday and were left at a loss following the session. Leclerc and Hamilton were on the bubble as time ticked down in Q2, and a bold gamble from Aston Martin — bolting C5 medium tires on both Lance Stroll’s and Fernando Alonso’s cars at the end of Q2 — paid off handsomely. The Aston Martin pair moved into Q3, eliminating Leclerc and Hamilton, who are set to start P11 and P12, respectively. Leclerc was left speechless. “[I’m] very disappointed, especially at home, at such a special Grand Prix for the team – it just hurts,” said Leclerc to the official F1 channel. “It would have hurt anyway, whatever track, but here it hurts even more. I have no words about our performance today. “The only thing we can say is that we are sorry for this kind of performance at home and in general. We are just not good enough at the moment and we’ve got to do better. Unfortunately this is all I can say at the moment and this is all we are trying to do, is to be better and to work in the right direction.” Leclerc downplayed any chance of a fight forward on Sunday, given his starting position. With overtaking coming at a premium at Imola and a one-stop strategy the likely approach for teams, it might take some chaos for Leclerc or Hamilton to climb up the grid. “Race pace was strong, but we are starting P11. Apart from if something is happening crazy, it’s going to be difficult,” added Leclerc. As for Hamilton, the seven-time Drivers’ Champion admitted he was “gutted” by the result. “Tough one. Ultimately, I feel super gutted, devastated that we weren’t able to get through,” said Hamilton to Sky Sports F1. “I really feel like we had made so many positive steps through the weekend. The car was generally feeling better, brakes were better today, the balance was really nice. “In Q2, run one felt decent, and then when we put the new tires on, for some I just didn’t have any more grip and couldn’t go any faster.” Hamilton admitted that his disappointment stemmed in large part from the fact that this race marks his first Italian race in red. “The reason it’s devastating is just to see everyone who’s worked so hard in the garage, to be in Italy for the first Italian race for me and Ferrari and to not make it to Q3, it’s definitely bittersweet,” added Hamilton. Saturday was another frustrating day in what has been a mixed season for Ferrari. The team sits fourth in the Constructors’ Championship standings with just one Grand Prix podium on the year, a P3 from Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While Hamilton has delivered two podiums in F1 Sprint races, including a win in the F1 Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, the team was hoping for more from the start of this year. Now they have another night to wonder where they can improve.
Ferrari’s drivers are once again wondering what might have been after a frustrating qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
This was not the home qualifying session that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were hoping for.
The historic Imola Circuit’s full name is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, after the founder of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, and his son Dino. The circuit is just down the road from Ferrari’s Maranello factory, and as one of two Formula 1 races in Italy, it serves as a home race for the Scuderia.
This year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix took on added importance, as it plays host to Hamilton’s first home race with Ferrari.
But both he and Leclerc failed to advance out of Q2 during qualifying on Saturday and were left at a loss following the session.
Leclerc and Hamilton were on the bubble as time ticked down in Q2, and a bold gamble from Aston Martin — bolting C5 medium tires on both Lance Stroll’s and Fernando Alonso’s cars at the end of Q2 — paid off handsomely. The Aston Martin pair moved into Q3, eliminating Leclerc and Hamilton, who are set to start P11 and P12, respectively.
Leclerc was left speechless.
“[I’m] very disappointed, especially at home, at such a special Grand Prix for the team – it just hurts,” said Leclerc to the official F1 channel. “It would have hurt anyway, whatever track, but here it hurts even more. I have no words about our performance today.
“The only thing we can say is that we are sorry for this kind of performance at home and in general. We are just not good enough at the moment and we’ve got to do better. Unfortunately this is all I can say at the moment and this is all we are trying to do, is to be better and to work in the right direction.”
Leclerc downplayed any chance of a fight forward on Sunday, given his starting position. With overtaking coming at a premium at Imola and a one-stop strategy the likely approach for teams, it might take some chaos for Leclerc or Hamilton to climb up the grid.
“Race pace was strong, but we are starting P11. Apart from if something is happening crazy, it’s going to be difficult,” added Leclerc.
As for Hamilton, the seven-time Drivers’ Champion admitted he was “gutted” by the result.
“Tough one. Ultimately, I feel super gutted, devastated that we weren’t able to get through,” said Hamilton to Sky Sports F1. “I really feel like we had made so many positive steps through the weekend. The car was generally feeling better, brakes were better today, the balance was really nice.
“In Q2, run one felt decent, and then when we put the new tires on, for some I just didn’t have any more grip and couldn’t go any faster.”
Hamilton admitted that his disappointment stemmed in large part from the fact that this race marks his first Italian race in red.
“The reason it’s devastating is just to see everyone who’s worked so hard in the garage, to be in Italy for the first Italian race for me and Ferrari and to not make it to Q3, it’s definitely bittersweet,” added Hamilton.
Saturday was another frustrating day in what has been a mixed season for Ferrari. The team sits fourth in the Constructors’ Championship standings with just one Grand Prix podium on the year, a P3 from Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While Hamilton has delivered two podiums in F1 Sprint races, including a win in the F1 Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, the team was hoping for more from the start of this year.
Now they have another night to wonder where they can improve.
