Leclerc Accepts Blame For Underwhelming Qualifying Performance At British Grand Prix

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Charles Leclerc expressed disappointment in his own performance after a lacklustre qualifying session at the British Grand Prix. Max Verstappen clinched pole position, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris securing second and third spots. Despite Ferrari's promising start, with Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc leading the second qualifying round, they ended up fifth and sixth respectively in the final session.

Ferrari faces a significant gap of 207 points behind McLaren in the constructors' championship. Leclerc trails Piastri by 97 points in the drivers' standings. The Monegasque driver acknowledged his qualifying struggles this season, noting he finished 0.229 seconds behind Verstappen. "I haven't been good enough, unfortunately," said Leclerc. "It's been more qualies than not that I find myself here saying it could have been, should have been."

Leclerc admitted his race performances have generally been strong, but he feels something is missing during qualifying sessions. He reflected on his past strengths in qualifying and expressed frustration at not delivering his best when it mattered most. "At the end of the day, if I don't do the job in the car and put up my best corners together, then I end up P6 instead of being on the front row," he added.

Despite some issues with the car, Leclerc remains determined to perform well from sixth place on race day. He acknowledged that finding free air from this position will be challenging but is committed to giving his best effort. Meanwhile, Hamilton was more upbeat about his prospects after qualifying at Silverstone.

Hamilton has a strong record at Silverstone with nine wins and believes he can compete with those starting ahead of him. He commented: "The lap was pretty decent at the end and then I lost a bit of time on the last corner, which probably would have put me on the front row or at least third." He emphasised feeling better in the car this weekend and praised both the track and crowd.

Hamilton noted that they needed just a little more from their car to close in on their competitors. "We're right on a knife-edge," he stated, highlighting how close they were to achieving a better result. Despite this, Hamilton remains optimistic about their chances during the race.

Both drivers are aware of their challenges but remain focused on improving their performances as they prepare for an intense race day ahead at Silverstone.