Hamilton and Leclerc lament Ferrari’s problems on home track

Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc complained of a lack of pace and braking difficulties on Friday after finishing sixth and 11th on their home circuit in opening practice for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

It is a critical weekend for Ferrari in front of their passionate ‘tifosi’ as they seek a second podium finish of the year and a revival of the momentum that carried them to a serious challenge for the constructors’ title last year.

But the signs on Friday were not promising.

Leclerc, who was unwell on Thursday, said he felt much better but complained of problems with his helmet and his car’s braking on another disappointing day for the team.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled to adapt to Ferrari after his move from Mercedes, grumbled about braking problems. 

“Pole position is not in this car,” said Leclerc. “But our race pace is strong and so if we concentrate on qualifying it will help a lot tomorrow.”

He said he had experienced a “tricky” patch in first practice but improved the car’s performance in the second free practice session. “We need to work on it,” he added. 

Hamilton, experiencing his first weekend as a Ferrari driver racing on home soil at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, said he felt the first free practice was good and that the upgrades on his car had given him a step forward. 

But, he said, after making some of the “tiniest changes to things” he suffered serious brake issues.

“Unfortunately, they’re not fixable overnight,” he said. “It’s another roll of the dice to see what works. Let’s see tomorrow.”