MIAMI, Florida — After sprint qualifying for the F1 Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc expressed his frustration at the SF-25’s “annoying” lack of pace.
Things did not improve for him Saturday morning.
As the grid took to the track for reconnaissance laps ahead of the F1 Sprint race, they did so in wet and rainy conditions. Ferrari bolted on a set of intermediate tires to Leclerc’s SF-25, but those might not have been the right compound for the conditions. Leclerc slid into the wall on his reconnaissance lap, cutting down his right rear tire in the process.
He tried to return to the garage but eventually came to a stop, ending his F1 Sprint race before it began.
You can see the full incident here:
Inside the car, Leclerc simply radioed into his team “I’m so sorry … I’m so sorry” as he came to a halt.
With the F1 Sprint race set to begin at noon local time, rain is still falling here in Miami. It is expected to stop shortly before the lights go out for the F1 Sprint race, but the drivers may still need weather tires for the 19 laps that await them on the track.