Leclerc disappointed after 'disaster' qualifying: 'It never worked for me'

"This Qualifying was a disaster. I think it was the most difficult weekend of my career. Without exaggerating, it was horrible," the Ferrari driver was blunt in his assessment after qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix while speaking to GPblog and other media in the paddock.

The Monegasque driver also does not expect a better race on Sunday. With rain predicted, Leclerc expects it will be even harder for him to get heat into the tyres.

Also speaking to F1 TV, the Ferrari driver further highlighted his issues with the tyres. "I just felt like I was going to put it into the wall in every single corner I do just because the tyres were completely out of the window today. The brakes yesterday that were not in the window as well. There was never, at any time, something that was just clicking and everything was right."

Meanwhile, his teammate Lewis Hamilton has been on fine form in the two qualifying sessions this weekend, and will start from fifth place. "But surely Lewis managed to do that throughout Qualifying and I didn't. I'll analyse on what I can do to be better in these kinds of conditions to just switch those tyres on, because it's been really a nightmare so far."

Hamilton could not defeat the two Mercedes and McLarens either in qualifying, as he lost considerable time on the back straights. Unlike Leclerc, the seven-time F1 world champion hopes for some rain today at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

He explained to GPblog, among others: "It felt great, we made some good changes in qualifying. I was hopeful for a better result but didn't get my last lap. The car was feeling like we were improving and I think honestly if I got that last lap I probably could have been a bit better. It's brakes, it's corner entry stability, and just with the setup that I've migrated to, I'm much, much happier to attack the car."

"I'm hoping it is [going to rain]. I hope that levels us out to the guys ahead and maybe gives us a bit of a chance to fight with them," the Briton concluded, who was also investigated by the FIA stewards for an alleged impeding incident. In the end, Hamilton was not handed a grid penalty.