The first training session in Montreal was just 14 minutes old, when the working day for Charles Leclerc ended. The Monegasse damaged its Ferrari so heavily in an accident that it could not take part in the second training session. It all started with a harmless braking, but Leclerc reacted incorrectly.
Accordingly, his conclusion is honest: “It was a very stupid accident,” admits the Ferrari pilot. “I had a brick, but I still thought that I would still get the curve. I knew that I would get into the grass, but I thought that would be enough not to touch the wall.”
A serious mistake! “Unfortunately, when I was in the grass, I realized that there was no more space,” says Leclerc. “So it was simply an misjudgment. But one that was expensive because the way the wheel hit the chassis was damaged, it was torn.”
Leclerc believes: “In qualifying again to speed”
“It basically meant that I couldn’t drive all day. It hurts, of course, because we were missing a number of rounds today.” The Monegasse thus only came to nine laps. “But that was very positive that I felt very comfortable in the car.”
“I think we were very competitive at the time – as much that is worth it after three rounds a day.” After all, his early round was still tenth. “But yes, [der Unfall] Do not affect my self -confidence and I am sure that it will not affect my weekend either. “
“I’m very sorry for the whole team, because of course you never want something like that,” says Leclerc, who remains confident. “I am sure that I will be at speed again in qualifying. How competitive we will really be is another question that we will see. But as far as I personally affects me, I am 100 percent ready.”
Hamilton makes step backwards in training
Despite its accident, the Monegasse seems to be even more confident than team -mate Lewis Hamilton, who also had no good start to the weekend. “Not particularly good, not really good,” the Briton sums up. “I love driving here.”
“But the car feels very different from what I have experienced here in the past,” explains Hamilton, who races in red in Montreal for the first time this year in red. The first training session was “okay”, but then the team went in the wrong direction.
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“We made some changes. And frankly I thought the car was faster, but we were just slower,” says the Ferrari driver, who only reached eighth place after fifth place in the morning in the second session. “Or the other teams have simply become faster.”
Nevertheless, the Brit remains confident. “I think we will definitely get that under control overnight. Some changes are necessary,” believes the seven -time world champion, who, however, does not want to make a prognosis for qualifying.
“I don’t know. It will be a challenge to get into the Q3 at all, as it looks at the moment. But it is not impossible,” Hamilton, who does not believe in Canada, does not believe in the great success: “The fight to get under the top 5 will be difficult.”
Vasseur sees Ferrari “on the right track”
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur hopes with a smile that the result will be at least better than last year. At that time, both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz had failed. “But the pace this morning was fine with Charles before he had the accident,” says the Frenchman.
“It was also okay at Lewis. I think we took a step forward compared to the first races, now we are back in second place,” recalls Vasseur, who is supposed to fight for his future. “We had a strong pace on the last three or four weekends.”
Ferrari was already strong in the race at the beginning of the year, but was not able to convince in qualifying. “Now we are able to bring everything together a little better and to complete a good weekend,” says the Ferrari team boss.
“But it is still a long way compared to McLaren, because they are still one step ahead of us,” says Vasseur. “We have to keep an eye on McLaren and don’t look behind us. But we’re on the right track.”