This was not the house qualifying session that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been hoping for.
The historic Imola Circuit’s full title is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, after the founding father of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, and his son Dino. The circuit is simply down the street from Ferrari’s Maranello manufacturing unit, and as one in every of two Components 1 races in Italy, it serves as a house race for the Scuderia.
This yr’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix took on added significance, because it performs host to Hamilton’s first residence race with Ferrari.
However each he and Leclerc didn’t advance out of Q2 throughout qualifying on Saturday and have been left at a loss following the session.
Leclerc and Hamilton have been on the bubble as time ticked down in Q2, and a daring gamble from Aston Martin — bolting C5 medium tires on each Lance Stroll’s and Fernando Alonso’s automobiles on the finish of Q2 — paid off handsomely. The Aston Martin pair moved into Q3, eliminating Leclerc and Hamilton, who’re set to begin P11 and P12, respectively.
Leclerc was left speechless.
“(I’m) very upset, particularly at residence, at such a particular Grand Prix for the staff – it simply hurts,” mentioned Leclerc to the official F1 channel. “It will have harm anyway, no matter monitor, however right here it hurts much more. I’ve no phrases about our efficiency in the present day.
“The one factor we will say is that we’re sorry for this type of efficiency at residence and typically. We’re simply not adequate in the intervening time and we’ve obtained to do higher. Sadly that is all I can say in the intervening time and that is all we try to do, is to be higher and to work in the suitable path.”
Leclerc downplayed any probability of a battle ahead on Sunday, given his beginning place. With overtaking coming at a premium at Imola and a one-stop technique the possible strategy for groups, it would take some chaos for Leclerc or Hamilton to climb up the grid.
“Race tempo was robust, however we’re beginning P11. Other than if one thing is going on loopy, it’s going to be troublesome,” added Leclerc.
As for Hamilton, the seven-time Drivers’ Champion admitted he was “gutted” by the outcome.
“Robust one. Finally, I really feel tremendous gutted, devastated that we weren’t in a position to get by way of,” mentioned Hamilton to Sky Sports activities F1. “I actually really feel like we had made so many constructive steps by way of the weekend. The automotive was typically feeling higher, brakes have been higher in the present day, the steadiness was very nice.
“In Q2, run one felt respectable, after which once we put the brand new tires on, for some I simply didn’t have any extra grip and couldn’t go any sooner.”
Hamilton admitted that his disappointment stemmed largely from the truth that this race marks his first Italian race in crimson.
“The explanation it’s devastating is simply to see everybody who’s labored so laborious within the storage, to be in Italy for the primary Italian race for me and Ferrari and to not make it to Q3, it’s positively bittersweet,” added Hamilton.
Saturday was one other irritating day in what has been a combined season for Ferrari. The staff sits fourth within the Constructors’ Championship standings with only one Grand Prix podium on the yr, a P3 from Leclerc on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Whereas Hamilton has delivered two podiums in F1 Dash races, together with a win within the F1 Dash race on the Chinese language Grand Prix, the staff hoped for extra from the beginning of this yr.
Now they’ve one other evening to marvel the place they will enhance.
