Ferrari drivers disappointed after Suzuka qualifying
Fourth and eighth in qualifying in Japan, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton failed to get onto the front row of the grid and will have to fight hard in the race for a podium finish.
After monopolizing the fourth row in Australia and then the third in China, Ferrari managed to get one of its cars on the second row of the grid in Japan. Behind Max Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers, it was Charles Leclerc who delivered the best performance by a red car in qualifying this year.
Leclerc: satisfied with the progress despite the disappointment
« I gave it my all during my best lap in Q3, and we couldn’t extract more from the car today,” said the Monegasque after setting the fourth-fastest time at the wheel of his SF-25. « Fourth place is not a satisfactory result and we must continue to work to close the gap with McLaren and Red Bull, with the goal of returning to the top positions. »
Despite his disappointment, the one who only stood on the podium once at Suzuka (in 2022, editor’s note), sees positives since the beginning of the weekend after two difficult initial races.
« Overall, it’s been a positive weekend so far. I feel much better in the car after the changes we made yesterday, which also gives me confidence behind the wheel. I can’t wait to see how the race will unfold tomorrow and how our updates will perform over race distance. », commented the Monegasque driver after the qualifying session.
Hamilton: In Search of Hidden Potential
Qualified four places behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton said he is convinced that his starting position for the race does not reflect the potential of his car.
« We made changes to the car before qualifying; unfortunately, they didn’t bring the improvements we wanted. The car is better balanced than in the initial sessions, but I experienced significant understeer in Q3, which cost us time. This result does not reflect our potential. There is performance to be found, and the team is working really hard behind the scenes. », he said.
After two Grand Prix races this season, the Ferrari drivers are in ninth and tenth places in the drivers’ standings, while the Italian team is currently fifth in the constructors’ standings.
