Hamilton targets podium finish after another strong qualifying performance
Having grabbed a fifth place on the grid for today's Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari's seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton reckons that he is "going to be gunning for trying to see if we can get a podium" at Montreal.
Charles Leclerc had a tough opening day at the Canadian Grand Prix as he hit the walls at Turn 3 at the beginning of Free Practice 1. The incident forced him to sit out the rest of the day as Ferrari needed to change the survival cell of his car and the sporting regulations state that drivers cannot take part in the remainder of the practice day in case of a chassis change.
However, the Monegasque looked in fine form in final practice, ending up second behind McLaren's Lando Norris despite his heavily limited mileage on the weekend.
Leclerc was once again very competitive in qualifying, and he looked in contention for pole position. The 27-year-old set purple time in Sector 1 on his last push lap, but made a mistake into Turn 6 and was forced to abort his final hot lap. In the end, he had to settle with a disappointing P8.
His team-mate Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult Friday as he looked to struggle for pace. The seven-time F1 champion even claimed that it might be a struggle to get into Q3.
However, the British driver appeared to be much more comfortable in his SF-25 right from the beginning of the final practice. Although he was unable to challenge for pole, Hamilton grabbed P5 on the grid for today's Montreal race.
"P5 is a solid result after some interesting practice and qualifying sessions. We’re up against cars that have brought upgrades, so the challenge is on, but I’ll be giving it everything to fight for a podium.
Hamilton continued: "With the right strategy and strong race pace, I think it’s possible. We’re staying hopeful for tomorrow, but we know it’s not going to be easy."
“We were never going to get pole, I think, clearly. 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.”
