Exceptionally poor qualifying Ferrari: 'It was a real fight'

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc face a tough race after an uncharacteristically poor qualifying from Ferrari. Speaking to Formula1.com both drivers say they hope the team can quickly fix the problems with the car.

Both Ferrari drivers were still optimistic about their chances after Friday's practice sessions, but that optimism vanished like snow in the sun after qualifying. Sainz struggled to secure fifth place and Leclerc had to make do with seventh, behind Valtteri Bottas' Alfa Romeo. Leclerc specifically had issues with his car, but the Ferrari did not seem to do well across the board on the Mexico circuit. Sainz had several moments where he almost seemed to lose the car, and Leclerc also made a few slips during qualifying.

Reflecting on the disappointing qualifying, Sainz says he was struggling a lot with the car. "It was a fight. A clear fight out there, I think you could see it from the outside. I don’t know if we haven’t nailed the set-up, or we just got it wrong with tyres or the altitude is just affecting us a bit too much here, but it’s clear the car over one lap hasn’t been as competitive as it has been in other Grands Prix. We need to focus clearly on putting a good race together knowing that this weekend we might not be the fastest."

Leclerc agrees with his teammate's analysis, adding that the engine was not behaving as it should. According to the Monegasque, the problem is mainly in the stretches driven at higher speeds. However, Leclerc did stress that it seems to be a one-off exception.

The stakes are still high for Ferrari. Leclerc is in contention for second place with Sergio Perez, while Sainz will have to do his best to take fourth place from George Russell. Among the constructors, Mercedes is slowly but surely catching up with the Italians. So a weekend with an underperforming car would be very bad news for Ferrari.