“Horrendous.” Charles Leclerc didn’t mince words when describing his sole flying lap in SQ3. That single run earned the Ferrari driver the fourth-fastest time, placing him on the second row for tomorrow’s Sprint race.
The Moneagsque made a critical braking error at the end of the long straight leading into the track’s most twisting section. The Ferrari driver was likely aware that he was giving up quite a bit to his rivals in terms of straight-line speed and attempted to make up for it under braking, ultimately running deep into the corner.
Frustrations on the pit wall
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur shared his thoughts on the Miami Sprint Qualifying while speaking to Sky: “Leclerc cannot be happy; if you are first in SQ1 and SQ2 and then fourth in SQ3, you cannot be happy. I am not happy on the pit wall either, because we clearly didn’t exploit the package well, even if the positive note is that the potential is there. The gap on the straights? We are losing a couple of tenths, but even in this case, it’s more accurate to talk about the total package rather than just the engine. In the race, however, this gap narrows, and we will be able to make a comeback.” – the French manager pointed out.
Fred Vasseur expects to continue benefiting from Ferrari’s consistent getaway performance off the line: “I don’t want to give anything away, but since the beginning of the season, we haven’t necessarily been the absolute best at starting, and I believe everyone will improve because there is always a sort of convergence in performance. However, we are more consistent in our starts than the others, which is important. Therefore, I am confident that the drivers will start well again tomorrow, but we must not rely solely on the start.”
In summary, while Frédéric Vasseur acknowledged the missed opportunities during the final stage of Miami Sprint Qualifying, his focus remains on Ferrari’s inherent potential and superior start consistency to reclaim positions during the race.
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