Lewis Hamilton has tempered expectations for qualifying at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, stating his goal is to simply make it into the top 10. This comes after Ferrari faced challenges during practice sessions in Jeddah.
In Friday`s second practice session, which is usually representative of race conditions, Hamilton finished 13th. He was over a second slower than the fastest driver, Lando Norris, and six tenths behind his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, who was fourth.
Apart from a victory in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint, Leclerc has generally outperformed Hamilton in their first season together at Ferrari, since Hamilton`s high-profile move from Mercedes.
Reflecting on Friday`s sessions, Hamilton commented that getting the tires to work correctly was his main issue. He clarified that it wasn`t a team problem, but rather his own struggle to optimize tire performance.
When asked if he anticipated improvement with overnight adjustments, Hamilton mentioned that while Saturday often sees performance regress, he personally didn`t have much further to fall back. He expressed hope that the team could make car improvements.
He noted there were moments in the sessions that felt positive, but the car`s performance dropped off when using soft tires.
Despite planned overnight changes aimed at improvement, Hamilton seemed uncertain about his qualifying prospects. When questioned about his potential qualifying position, he reiterated his focus on just trying to reach the top 10.
Hamilton`s best chance to advance to the final qualifying session on Saturday might involve adopting a setup closer to what Leclerc is using.
He has previously mentioned that Leclerc`s better understanding of the Ferrari car puts him at a slight disadvantage.
Hamilton indicated they might move towards Leclerc`s setup, stating they would collaborate to analyze data from both cars, including wing settings, to find a better direction. He hopes for improved understanding and performance on Saturday.
Leclerc Anticipates Better Qualifying Performance
In contrast to Hamilton`s subdued outlook, Leclerc expressed optimism, saying he had a clear direction for Saturday.
Leclerc described Friday as tricky, highlighting the Jeddah track`s challenging nature, which demands high driver confidence for optimal performance.
He mentioned significant car adjustments during the day, which he considered positive for learning. Leclerc believes that once they fine-tune everything, the car should have more performance available.
Leclerc acknowledged McLaren`s strong pace, possibly stronger than Ferrari`s, but remained hopeful. He emphasized that achieving optimal performance requires putting everything together and expressed confidence in their planned direction for qualifying.
