Hamilton and Leclerc faced unpredictable handling and balance problems, leaving Ferrari chasing rivals ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc admitted they were left chasing balance and confidence after a tricky qualifying session at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Just a day after taking pole for the F1 Sprint, Hamilton couldn’t repeat the performance in regular qualifying, settling for 5th on the grid—less than three-tenths behind Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. It’s an improvement from Melbourne, but a step back compared to Friday’s performance.
“We started the session feeling positive,” Hamilton said. “But we made a few setup changes that really threw the balance off. The wind picked up too, which made the car feel a lot more on edge, harder to control from corner to corner.”
The seven-time World Champion emphasized how crucial predictability is in these cars.
“At high speed, it suddenly felt unstable. You need a car that responds the same way every time you push into a corner. When it starts doing its own thing—understeering one lap, snapping oversteer the next—there’s just no confidence to push. We’ll be working on dialing it in for the race.”
Leclerc Still Searching for More
His teammate, Charles Leclerc, will line up right behind in 6th, just a fraction off Hamilton’s pace. But despite the close gap, the Monegasque wasn’t fully satisfied.
“Compared to others, we took a step back. The feeling in the car was better, but others improved more than we did,” Leclerc explained. “After Australia, I thought if we nailed everything, we’d be within three-tenths of the front—but even putting it all together here, we’re still missing those three-tenths.”
Leclerc experimented with Hamilton’s setup, which brought some improvement, but not enough to make a real leap.
“It helped a bit, yeah. The car felt nicer to drive, but it’s still not quite there. The race tomorrow is a different story though—we had good pace in the Sprint, but with traffic ahead, it’ll be tougher. Still, we’ll give it everything and try to make it work.”
- Discover More>Piastri Claims First Career Pole in Shanghai Despite “Mistakes”
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
Ferrari Off Balance: Hamilton & Leclerc Lose Their Edge
Ferrari Off Balance: Hamilton & Leclerc Lose Their Edge
