A rather disappointing qualifying session for Scuderia Ferrari at the first ever Qatar Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz was the only Ferrari driver to make it to the final stage, seventh fastest in Q3, while Charles Leclerc was not able to make the cut and could do no better than 13th. After Leclerc’s car was checked, a crack was found in the chassis, probably as a result of going over the kerbs on the first run in Q1. It will now have to be changed. If all the work is done within the time allowed by the sporting regulations, Charles will still start from his qualifying position.
On the grid, the two Ferrari men will be close to the two McLaren drivers, their closest rivals in both championships. Lando Norris starts directly ahead of Carlos and Daniel Ricciardo is right behind Charles. Another point to consider in terms of the race is that Carlos is one of only four drivers, the others being the top three on the grid, to get through to Q3 on the Medium tyre, which will allow greater flexibility in terms of race strategy during the 57 laps tomorrow afternoon.
Laurent Mekies, Ferrari Racing Director, comments and impressions at the end of the qualifying session for the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix at Losail International Circuit:
“A difficult qualifying this afternoon, but having said that, we are well aware that our main aim in this final part of the season is to beat McLaren in the Constructors’ standings and the outcome of this session suggests we are pretty evenly matched. Carlos did well, getting through to Q3 on the Mediums, the only driver to do so apart from those in the two teams fighting for the titles. It was a risky choice and luckily it all went well. We will see tomorrow if this works out for us. Charles didn’t feel happy with the car in this session so together, we will try and analyse why, studying every aspect scrupulously, so that we can try and put him in good shape for the race. On top of that, it’s clear the damage to the chassis that will now be replaced, influenced the car’s behaviour. Now the mechanics face a major task to get the number 16 car fixed in time.
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One should not forget that on a new track like this, the experience gained lap after lap can make a difference, so the pecking order we saw today could still change. Furthermore, reliability will be even more crucial than ever, as we learned this afternoon to our cost. For our part, we will do our utmost to ensure any changes go in our favour, especially when up against our main rivals. Despite it having been a difficult day, it’s not over yet and we still have the opportunity to pick up plenty of championship points.” – the Ferrari Racing Director explained, as reported by the Maranello team’s official website.
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