Charles Leclerc tried to salvage Ferrari’s qualifying session at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the Monegasque driver never found the right performance window. Charles Leclerc ended the session ninth, unable to make an impact in any phase of qualifying. He struggled to build confidence both on full wet tyres and on intermediates, with significant braking issues throughout. This was especially clear on his final push lap, when he locked the rear and came close to hitting the barriers. His teammate Lewis Hamilton also failed to show the strong pace he demonstrated in FP3. It all makes the Las Vegas weekend look like an uphill battle for Ferrari, which will start P9 with Charles Leclerc and P20 with the British driver.
Charles Leclerc’s words after qualifying
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve had this problem in the rain. It’s frustrating because we have tried everything,” the Monegasque driver admitted. “It seems like we just can’t generate grip when it rains; it’s simply extremely difficult to drive, it’s hard even to stay on track.”
Charles Leclerc continued his interview by admitting that something in this Ferrari simply “doesn’t work” when it rains. “Something doesn’t work in the wet. We are trying everything to find a solution. It’s frustrating because this has been one of my strengths since I was a kid.”
“The race will be complicated because we have increased the downforce. I think it will be better for the tyres, but it will be very difficult to overtake or defend,” Charles Leclerc told the media on Saturday. “I remain optimistic, the performance has been good all weekend in the dry.” – the Monegasque driver concluded at the end of the qualifying session for the 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
