Hamilton: I would be taken aback if we come across a solution.

Hamilton: I would be taken aback if we come across a solution.

      Former team principal Mattia Binotto empathizes with Ferrari during their ongoing difficulties.

      Ferrari's challenges have come to the forefront once again in Austin, where both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton found themselves significantly behind the frontrunners in qualifying. This prompted Italy’s Autosprint to headline: "Austin is confronting Ferrari with reality." The Maranello team's performance woes show no signs of improvement, with Leclerc and Hamilton barely making it into the lower half of the top ten based on outright speed at the Circuit of the Americas.

      Hamilton acknowledged that the eight-tenths deficit was "huge," while Leclerc expressed a similarly bleak outlook on Ferrari's ability to bridge the gap during an interview with Sky Italia. "I’d be surprised if we find a solution that lets us make a significant leap forward," he stated. "I hope I’m wrong, but it seems like this is the full potential of the car.

      "Where are we losing time? Everywhere. Honestly, my lap in Q3 was clean. Perhaps if we had run a few more laps on the medium tire during practice this morning, we could have optimized the car a bit better. We could have gained a tenth or two, but that’s still not sufficient. We’re currently at a considerable disadvantage."

      Former Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto, now heading the Sauber-Audi project, shared his sympathy for his former team with Autosprint. "I empathize with the Ferrari fans," Binotto remarked. "I also think of the many individuals working in Maranello. I know they invest their heart and soul every day, and dealing with these results is challenging. I’m genuinely saddened to witness this - but I have also started a new chapter."

      Ex-Ferrari driver and commentator Ivan Capelli feels that the Scuderia has lost its direction. "Ferrari is currently in a state of confusion - technically, in terms of timing, and in management," Capelli told Sky Italia. "It often seems like the wrong decision is being made. Everything is very complicated, and that appears to be the trend.

      "Leclerc encountered an issue in FP1, but there was also a management problem during the session with drivers waiting in line. It’s evident that they are mismanaging their timing. All of this creates a tension that leads to the same conclusion at the end of each session: ‘We made a mistake once again.’"

Hamilton: I would be taken aback if we come across a solution.

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Formula 1 | Ferrari's difficulties have come back into focus in Austin, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton significantly lagging behind the (...)