‘I couldn’t do more’ – Leclerc ‘disappointed but not surprised’ as he settles for P4 on grid at Ferrari’s home race

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has made it clear that he “couldn’t do much more” after finishing Saturday’s Qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix in a “disappointing but not surprising” fourth place.

Leclerc suggested pole position could be “on the cards” for Ferrari following a positive first day at Monza, but he ultimately had to settle for a second-row grid slot behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Asked if he was disappointed not to be in the fight for pole, having finished just over two-tenths away from Verstappen’s time, Leclerc replied: “Yeah, disappointed but not surprised.

“It was always going to be very difficult to fight with the top three. We knew that the Red Bull and the McLaren had something more than us for this weekend, and unfortunately that proved to be the case.

“Not much we can do more, especially in a Qualifying like this… I think the lap was great and I couldn’t do much more.”

Asked about his prospects for Sunday, and whether Ferrari’s race pace might be stronger, last year’s Monza winner added: “I hope so, I hope so. Overtaking is not going to be easy. I hope that staying within the DRS (Drag Reduction System) range of the guys in front can help us to go away with them and to do something special, but it’s going to be tough.”

Leclerc’s team mate, Lewis Hamilton, was a tenth further back in fifth position, but the seven-time World Champion will lose five places on the grid due to his grid penalty.

“I think it’s generally been a better weekend,” he reflected. “It was definitely a solid Qualifying. I felt like I got pretty much most that I wanted out of it.

“I think at the end, the last lap… the last lap just never is as good as you hope it’d be, and that’s something I’ve got to work on for sure with the balance that I have with the car. Otherwise, it was okay.”

Previewing his first Monza race as a Ferrari driver, and with that penalty in mind, Hamilton said: “I’m so excited. Every time I get on track it’s just crazy. You get to Turn 1 and you see the crowd left and right, and they jump to their feet, so the support is like nothing I’ve ever seen.

“We don’t have the pace that we would like to fight the cars ahead. To have fourth and fifth… Charles really feels comfortable mostly in this car, as he’s been here for such a long time and does a great job, but I’m grateful that I could at least be there.

“Obviously this penalty puts me further back, but I’ll try and work my way through.”