Leclerc calls Montreal worst weekend as Ferrari fights tyres, brakes
Charles Leclerc struggled throughout Sprint Qualifying with a persistent brake‑balance issue.
Leclerc said he “wasn’t at ease” and was unable to attack corners confidently.
Leclerc described the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in Montréal as “one, if not the worst weekend of my career.”
Leclerc said he “never had a lap after FP1 where he could truly feel his SF-26.”
Leclerc repeatedly failed to get the tires into their operating window during the Montréal weekend.
Leclerc blamed the problems on tyres that were “completely out of the window” and brakes that were not working.
Over the radio Leclerc warned he would be “either in the wall or P8.”
In Sprint Qualifying Lewis Hamilton topped SQ1 and kept the fastest time despite a late lock‑up on his final run.
Ferrari’s cars qualified fifth and sixth in Sprint Qualifying (P5 and P6).
In the Sprint Leclerc started behind Oscar Piastri.
In the Sprint Leclerc was held up by a McLaren despite showing stronger medium‑tire pace.
Leclerc recovered in the Sprint to finish fifth.
Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth on the grid for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc qualified eighth for the Canadian Grand Prix, three places behind Hamilton.
Ferrari engineers said they have a working hypothesis for the brake‑balance problem.
Ferrari engineers said they are uncertain whether a fix can be applied before the Sprint and the Grand Prix qualifying sessions.
Ferrari’s investigation will include operating temperature windows, pad material, migration settings, and potential brake‑by‑wire inconsistencies.
Ferrari warned that unresolved brake problems could make it “a very long weekend.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said colder track temperatures and a one‑step harder compound made it harder to get brakes and tires into the right window, affected Leclerc more than Hamilton, and said it was “not an excuse.”
Ferrari brought no upgrades to the Montreal weekend; immediate fixes for the brake issue would rely on setup compromises or part swaps rather than new components, and the team is reportedly targeting further updates at the Barcelona Grand Prix in June.
Leclerc reported he was “really struggling” with the brake problems and feared he would “end up going straight” into corners.
The situation left Ferrari balancing urgent technical troubleshooting with preparing both cars for the upcoming race sessions.
