Charles Leclerc feels let down and Lewis Hamilton is upset after a tough qualifying session.

Leclerc and Hamilton Disappointed After Imola Qualifying

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton didn’t have the home qualifying session they had hoped for.

The Imola Circuit, officially named the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, is located near Ferrari’s Maranello factory, marking an important venue for Scuderia Ferrari as one of two F1 races held in Italy.

This year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is particularly significant, being Hamilton’s first home race with Ferrari.

However, both drivers fell short in the second quarter of qualifying on Saturday, resulting in a frustrating outcome.

Leclerc and Hamilton ended up timing out in this phase, while Aston Martin made a strategic gamble by fitting C5 medium tires on both Lance Stroll’s and Fernando Alonso’s cars. This gamble paid off, allowing the Aston Martin pair to progress to Q3 and ultimately pushing Leclerc and Hamilton back to P11 and P12.

Leclerc was left at a loss for words.

“I’m… extremely disappointed with this special Grand Prix for the team, especially being at home. It just hurts,” he expressed on the official F1 channel. “We can’t really explain our performance today.”

“All I can say is that we feel sorry for this performance, both at home and in general. We’re just not good enough right now and need to improve. Unfortunately, there’s not much more I can offer at the moment; we’re doing our best.”

Considering his starting position, Leclerc seemed to downplay his chances for Sunday’s race. With a likely one-stop strategy, overtaking at Imola could prove tricky unless things get chaotic.

“Race pace seems strong, but starting from P11—yeah, that’s tough. It’ll be challenging, unless something unexpected happens,” he added.

Hamilton, on the other hand, shared that he felt “encouraged” despite the disappointing results.

“It’s been tough. But ultimately, I feel quite encouraged, though devastated we couldn’t advance,” Hamilton said. “I think I made some positive strides over the weekend. The car felt better overall, especially the brakes and balance.”

“In the second quarter, when one driver switched to new tires and felt good, I couldn’t improve my times because I ran out of grip.”

Hamilton’s disappointment seemed to stem mostly from the fact that this race featured his first experience racing in red, for Ferrari.

“It’s tough because I see how hard everyone in the garage has been working. Being in Italy, for my first Italian race with Ferrari and not making it to Q3—it’s bittersweet,” he articulated.

Saturday turned out to be another frustrating chapter in what has been a mixed season for Ferrari. The team currently sits fourth in the Constructors Championship standings. Leclerc had a podium finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Hamilton managed two podiums, including a victory in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, though expectations have been higher since the season began.