Leclerc Disappointed After Qualifying Eighth in Canadian GP
Charles Leclerc expressed frustration following his eighth-place qualifying result for the Canadian Grand Prix, a session he entered with high hopes of contending for pole position. The Ferrari driver was on a promising lap during the final phase of Q3, having recorded a purple first sector, but a snap at Turn 7 forced him to abandon the run.
Leclerc attributed the mishap to the dirty air from Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls car ahead. Despite an earlier crash during FP1 that ruled him out of FP2, Leclerc maintained that his performance remained unaffected, stating, “From FP3 from the first laps, I felt good, so I regretted nothing.”
In his post-session comments, Leclerc elaborated on the challenges of navigating the track’s dirty air: “On a track like this with the walls, it’s like Monaco, it’s tricky with the dirty air.” He acknowledged Hadjar’s influence on his lap but emphasized that no blame could be placed on the French driver.
Leclerc also hinted at his aspirations for the race, stating, “I want to target the podium, but it all depends on how quickly we are going to get past the others.” The Ferrari team will need to capitalize on early race opportunities if Leclerc hopes to enhance his position from the start.
Key Quotes:
- Leclerc on qualifying: “I’m just very, very disappointed with Q3… we are now starting P8.”
- On the impact of dirty air: “It had a huge influence on me. I just wanted to… warn him what I said in the car, that I was quite angry.”
As the team prepares for the race, all eyes will be on Leclerc to see if he can maneuver through the field effectively and secure a podium finish.
