Emilia-Romagna GP: Hamilton ‘devastated' after qualifying struggles at Imola
Lewis Hamilton Frustrated After Disappointing Qualifying at Emilia-Romagna GP
Lewis Hamilton expressed deep frustration after a disheartening qualifying session that saw him secure only 12th place on the grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in his inaugural season with Ferrari.
The seven-time World Champion will start Sunday’s race just behind teammate Charles Leclerc, as both Ferrari drivers endured a challenging outing at the iconic Imola circuit. Enthusiasm among the home crowd, who had eagerly anticipated Hamilton’s high-profile move to the Scuderia during the offseason, couldn’t overshadow the stark reality of Ferrari’s underwhelming performance.
"Definitely devastated. I feel just gutted, I guess," Hamilton confessed to reporters, reflecting on the disappointing result. "I don't know, it felt like the car, the setup wasn’t just right. The brakes were working [after problems during practice], everything was kind of in place, but we just can't go quicker."
Tire Struggles a Key Obstacle
Hamilton pointed to the team’s inability to extract performance from the tires as one of the key issues. "If you look at how quick Max [Verstappen] is going through Turn 2 and 3, you just can't match it. And then we put that new soft [tire] on at the end, and for some reason, it just didn’t feel alive. There was no extra grip," he lamented.
Leclerc, meanwhile, shared his candid assessment, acknowledging Ferrari’s struggles and downplaying expectations for race day.
"The best performance that we could give was in 11th and 12th place," a visibly disappointed Leclerc said. "This hurts. I hope I can do some miracles tomorrow, but to be completely honest, for now there’s nothing that gives me hope for tomorrow’s pace—just because I think the potential of the car is not good enough at the moment."
Imola's Challenges Add to Ferrari's Woes
The tight and technical nature of the Imola circuit, known for its limited overtaking opportunities, further dampens hopes of a major turnaround.
"I mean, this is not a great race circuit to race on," admitted Hamilton. "It’s great to drive a single lap, but overtaking—you get stuck in a DRS train. There’s not going to be a lot of movement tomorrow. But we are all on softer tires, so we'll see what we can do. We’ll try and pick them off if we can. I feel like race pace could be good. I’ll race pace my season this year."
Support from Ferrari Fans
Despite the team’s struggles on track, Hamilton took a moment to reflect on the overwhelming support he’s received from Ferrari’s passionate Italian fanbase, describing the experience as “magical.”
"Yeah, I mean, it’s positive, amazing," Hamilton said. "There’s something magical. I just need more support. To see how much Ferrari means to people—I’ve never seen anything like it."
A Tough Race Ahead
Heading into race day, the weight of expectation will be heavy on Ferrari’s shoulders. While both drivers are counting on the long-run pace of the SF-23 to salvage a better result, the challenge of moving up the field around the notoriously tricky Imola circuit looms large.
Hamilton’s dream debut season with Ferrari has hit its first significant bump in the road—but with 58 laps between him and the checkered flag on Sunday, the Briton will be determined to find a way through.
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