F1 | Ferrari disaster: out in Q2 due to poor grip and poor tire choices

Two weeks ago, in Monte Carlo, poleman Charles Leclerc had inflicted almost three tenths of a gap on the first of the Mercedes (that of George Russell). Yesterday, in Montreal, at the end of the crucial Q2 the gap between Russell and the winner from Monaco was one second. When suddenly the hierarchies are reversed by such wide margins the reason is always and only one: tire management. This is what we saw yesterday in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, with the sensational exclusion of the two Ferraris from Q3.

Leclerc, eleventh, preceded Sainz, who managed to place himself ahead of Logan Sargeant by eight thousandths of a second. Something big didn’t work. After a positive Friday, the first warning signs for the Scuderia’s technicians arrived in FP3. “There is no grip,” the drivers complained when they mounted the two sets of soft tires included in the work programme. On smooth asphalt like that of Montreal, if the tires don’t enter the correct temperature window, traction becomes a nightmare.

At the end of FP3 in the paddock there were those who thought that Ferrari had not wanted to show its potential before qualifying, but in reality there was no strategy: the two SF24s found themselves sliding along the entire track. After the ‘run’ with the second set of soft tyres, Leclerc asked his engineer in which sections he was losing ground compared to the leaders, and Bryan Bozzi practically listed all the corners of the Montreal circuit.

All fears then materialized in the two qualifying rounds. Q1 proved to be much more competitive than expected, and all the drivers (with the exception of the two Mercedes) had to use two sets of soft tires to avoid taking risks linked to the strong evolution of the track. At the start of Q2 three teams decided to return to the track by immediately fitting a set of new soft tires: Mercedes (having saved one in Q1), McLaren and Ferrari.

A choice linked above all to the weather forecast, which indicated imminent rainfall. The rain didn’t arrive, however, and when we entered the key phase of the session, everyone returned to the track with a set of new soft tires, while McLaren and Ferrari had to fit one of the two sets used in Q1. Piastri and Norris went well, Leclerc and Sainz less so.

Of the four sets that Ferrari had available, one (by regulation) can only be used in Q3, so in fact there were no other chances for either Leclerc or Sainz. In the end, the final crossing of the finish line by Albon and Stroll, both in the top 10, gave shape to the joke: Leclerc eliminated by 32 thousandths, Sainz by 69. “If in Q2 we had mounted the set of new tires in the second part – he explained Carlos – we probably would have gotten to Q3, but beyond that we still wouldn’t have been where we want to be. And we already knew after the FP3 session that it would be a difficult qualifying.”

“Everyone struggled with the tires – commented Frederic Vasseur – but we had more difficulty than the others and we weren’t able to turn on the tires at the right time. We will analyze everything in detail but we won’t give up because we know that the points will be awarded tomorrow.” When the sun set on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, it was still unclear among the Scuderia’s technicians the reason that led to a strong downsizing of the stage’s ambitions. It may not be a single factor, but the combination of setup choices confirmed to be unsuitable for the characteristics of the track and incorrect tire pressure.

In view of the race, Leclerc and Sainz are holding on to the good results that emerged in the long runs, the possibility of rain and also the tradition of Montreal, a track that has in the past featured several races that ended with surprise verdicts. “Recovering positions is not impossible – concluded Vasseur – and we will give our all, as we also managed to do last year when we started from behind and completed a good comeback”. Last year Leclerc and Sainz started from tenth and eleventh position, finishing the race in fourth and fifth position respectively, a result that twelve months later wasn’t that bad. Today, however, the conditions ahead for Ferrari were very different.