leclerc & Hamilton Express Dismay After Challenging Qatar Sprint
Lusail, Qatar – Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton voiced significant frustration following a difficult Qatar Sprint race on Saturday, with both drivers reporting severe handling issues with thier cars. Leclerc finished P13 after briefly being overtaken by Liam Lawson, while Hamilton, starting from the pit lane due to setup changes, ended the race in P17.
the disappointing results come as Ferrari seeks to solidify its position in the Constructors’ Championship and as both drivers aim to maximize points in a season where every position is crucial.The Sprint race sets the grid for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, leaving the team with limited time to address the underlying problems. Leclerc’s struggles began immediately, impacting his entire race, and Hamilton’s gamble on pre-race adjustments proved detrimental.
“Just incredibly difficult to drive the car. I don’t have any explanations for now,” Leclerc stated, adding that he initially suspected damage to the vehicle. “I thought ther was damage on the car. We saw something but it was after the first few laps where the problem was mostly in the first lap. we’ll analyze that but it felt horrible.” He emphasized the need for substantial changes to the car’s setup before qualifying later today, stating, “Change the car massively without a doubt as the way it is indeed at the moment, there’s nothing we can do better if the car is the same.”
Hamilton’s team opted to make changes to his car before the Sprint, resulting in a pit lane start. Though, the modifications ultimately backfired. “We made some changes, that’s why we started from the pit lane. Regrettably it was the wrong direction,” the seven-time World Champion explained. The team will now reassess the setup in readiness for the Grand Prix, hoping to find a solution to improve performance.
