‘The car was good enough for pole’ – Leclerc ‘very frustrated’ by P8 in Canada while Hamilton targets podium from P5

Charles Leclerc could not hide his frustration after taking P8 in Qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, with the Monegasque believing that the car had the pace to take pole position, while Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton is hoping to fight for a podium from P5.

The final minutes of Q3 proved messy for Leclerc, who set a strong first sector on one of his final flying laps before a mistake in Sector 2 ruined his effort. And while he had time to go again, the 27-year-old could not move up higher than eighth place, leaving him visibly angry afterwards.

“Our pace was there,” Leclerc reflected after Qualifying. “I think the car was good enough for pole, but I f***** it up completely and I’m very annoyed. I just got out the car so obviously emotions are running high. I’m very annoyed.

“I don’t know if it was the right thing or not to go out early – we ended up having Isack [Hadjar] in the middle of Turn 6 or 7. He was 100 metres in front, but with these cars and on a track like this you lose all the grip.

P8 Leclerc: ‘The pace was there, the car was good enough for pole… I’m very annoyed’

“It’s a shame because until then I think it was… I mean, we only had done seven corners but I think it was good enough for pole so I’m very frustrated. I think today the car was really good and we haven’t maximised anything.”

After missing most of Friday’s action – due to damage on his car from a crash in FP1 forcing him to sit out FP2 – Leclerc was able to hit the ground running in third and final practice, going second fastest in that session.

HIGHLIGHTS: Russell snatches Canada pole ahead of Verstappen and Piastri

When pushed on whether this recovery gave him hope for what he could achieve on Sunday, Leclerc responded: “No, it’s irrelevant. When you do that in Qualifying then there’s nothing that gives me satisfaction.”

On the other side of the garage, Hamilton did not have an entirely smooth session but was keen to take the positives as he prepares to line up in P5 on a day where former Mercedes team mate George Russell grabbed pole position.

Hamilton ‘gunning for a podium’ from P5 in Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix

“We were never going to get pole, I think, clearly,” the seven-time World Champion reflected. “Mercedes brought an upgrade I think, or I just heard, and congrats to them. Their car’s always suited this track, so [I’m] happy for them.

“On our side it’s been very, very, very tricky, but I think a better performance than Ferrari had last year which is positive, and I’m still going to be gunning for trying to see if we can get a podium for once – that’s the goal tomorrow.”

FACTS AND STATS: Russell bags consecutive Montreal poles while Verstappen starts P2

Asked about how much more he has felt at one with the car in Montreal, Hamilton acknowledged that he is still adapting to the SF-25 as he responded: “I don’t feel at one with the car. I haven’t all year.”

And in terms of when this might happen, the Briton conceded: “I don’t know if I will this year.”