Ferrari F1: Leclerc optimistic, Hamilton disappointed and Vasseur doubtful at Suzuka

Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix was full of twists and turns for the Scuderia Ferrari. Between Charles Leclerc's optimism, Lewis Hamilton's disappointment and Frédéric Vasseur's doubts about how the race will go in the rain, here's what you need to remember about this day's qualifying. Formula 1 on the legendary Suzuka circuit.

Charles Leclerc: a reassuring fourth time

By setting the fourth fastest time, Charles Leclerc put a smile back on Ferrari's face, despite the still recent memory of the double disqualification in China. The Monegasque made the most of a difficult SF-25, particularly in the first Grands Prix of the season.

"Yesterday, I understood how to better prepare the car to extract more potential from it. Even if the final result isn't extraordinary (we're not fighting for fourth place), it's an important step forward for the team."

However, Charles regretted that the first sector was less successful than he'd hoped, even though it's in this part of the track that the Ferrari generally feels most at ease. Nevertheless, his result, just three tenths off pole, is a sign that the work done on Friday has paid off. Now it's a question of managing a race that promises to be uncertain, with rain forecast for Suzuka.

Lewis Hamilton: penalizing setup choices

Lewis Hamilton was not as successful as his team-mate. Eighth on the grid, the seven-time world champion found himself more than six tenths off the best time. He particularly regretted the poor balance of his SF-25, due in part to a different set-up from that of Charles Leclerc.

"If I'd found the right balance, I wouldn't be eighth. We're a little higher up than I'd like, but we're all in the same boat."

The Englishman explains that he suffered from severe understeer and was unable to correct the situation in time. He also pointed the finger at the ride height, a subject already raised earlier in the season, which seemed to bother him more than his team-mate. Hamilton is nevertheless hoping that the rain will muddy the waters and enable him to get back on track: the Briton is known to perform very well in wet conditions.

Frédéric Vasseur: "We don't know what awaits us in the race".

Scuderia Ferrari's Team Principal is rather satisfied with Charles Leclerc's qualifying, but makes no secret of his disappointment with Lewis Hamilton. In his opinion, the car showed good potential in Q1 and Q2, before losing efficiency at the decisive moment in Q3.

"We were consistent in Q1 and Q2, and Charles even set some good times. But in Q3, the wind shifted and everything got complicated. Lewis was at Charles' level in the early sessions, something must have happened on his last attempt."

As for the race, Fred Vasseur admits he has his doubts, mainly because of the uncertain weather:

"If it rains, it can change everything: Suzuka is very sensitive to rain and wind. I would have preferred dry conditions to continue working on the car's balance and better understand our SF-25. Rain can turn the race into a lottery."

After its misadventure in China - where both Ferraris were disqualified for technical irregularities - the Italian team needs to regain points in the championship. It is currently fifth in the Constructors' standings, tied with a Williams team.