Lewis Hamilton declared he is “much happier” with his Ferrari after advancing from a fraught Friday to a fifth‑place qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix.
Remarkable Weekend Upswing
Hamilton’s weekend began with a seventh‑place sprint finish and a qualifying result 0.624 s shy of sprint pole. In the post‑sprint recovery session, he and the team shifted the car’s setup toward the feel of his first practice session, an attempt that proved decisive in lifting him to fifth in Friday’s main Gran Prix qualifying.
Despite the improvement, Hamilton admitted the team had veered off‑track after FP1, building “bricks” of confidence that were then knocked down during the sprint and early qualified sessions.
Leclerc Evaluates Ferrari’s Form
Charles Leclerc started the sprint in third, just 0.055 s slower than sprint pole and 0.014 s behind Lando Norris, but the Monaco driver slid to sixth in Friday’s qualifying. Leclerc suggested Friday’s performance did not fully represent Ferrari’s capabilities, citing rivals who “didn’t fully maximize” their cars.
He blamed the car’s hesitation on the power‑mode switches from Q2 to Q3, which displaced the driver’s sense of progress. While Leclerc saw the vehicle as stronger in race trim—as evidenced by his overtaking of Norris on the sprint track—he remained unconvinced that pole was attainable.
Race‑Day Optimism Balances Confidence with Strategy
Both drivers acknowledged that race‑trim pace eclipses qualifying speed. Hamilton noted the sprint showed the car was “much better” than his own performance that day. Leclerc agreed the race pace had outperformed one‑lap speed.
Looking ahead, the team intends to “hold on to the guys at the head” by capitalizing on tyre life and strategic decisions, with confidence that the car’s race set‑up will deliver a competitive advantage on Sunday.
Looking Forward
After a lesson‑laden Saturday, Hamilton’s fifth‑place glide in qualifying signals a positive direction for Ferrari’s campaign. The focus now shifts to fine‑tuning performance during the race, aiming for a podium finish in the high‑stakes Dutch Grand Prix.
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