Lewis Hamilton explained that he was ‘devastated’ after both Ferrari drivers were knocked out in Q2 ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, stated that his team ‘needs to do better’ moving forward. The Ferrari duo were knocked out in 11th and 12th, setting up a long day at the office on Sunday. Imola is typically a qualifying-dependent race, with the width of modern F1 cars making it extremely hard for drivers to pass in the Grand Prix, particularly outside of Turn One.
Both Hamilton and Leclerc looked to be in a safe position after their final runs, but Aston Martin made a bold strategy gamble, sending both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso out on medium compound tyres. This paid off, and the duo leapfrogged Ferrari’s stars, before Pierre Gasly did the same.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after qualifying, Hamilton said: “Well, tough one, tough one. Ultimately, I’m super gutted, devastated, that we weren’t able to get through. I really feel like we’d made so many positive steps through the weekend.
“The car was generally feeling better, the brakes were better today, the balance was really nice. And in Q2 run one, it felt decent and then when we put the new tyres on, for some reason, they didn’t have any more grip. We couldn’t go any faster. And you see everyone else, they managed to switch the tyres on clearly, so we definitely need to look into that.
“And the reason it is devastating is just to see everyone who has worked so hard in the garage. To be in Italy for the first Italian race for me and Ferrari and not make it to Q3… It’s definitely bittersweet.”
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