Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth in a race marked by tire issues, damage, and a late-race Safety Car.

Leclerc and Lando Norris were the only top-ten starters on Hard tires, but graining forced both onto two-stop strategies. “P5 was the best we could do today,” said Leclerc. “Maybe a different strategy could’ve helped, but our starting position was the real disadvantage.”

Hamilton’s race was compromised on lap 13 when he struck a small animal, damaging his floor and reducing downforce. “P6 is a good result considering the cards we were dealt,” he said. “The damage made it tough to manage balance and pace.”

With three laps to go, Norris collided with teammate Oscar Piastri and retired, promoting both Leclerc and Hamilton up one position. The race ended under the Safety Car.

Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur pointed to missed sessions and early errors as setbacks: “Too many mistakes from FP1 onward. We missed long-run data, and that hurt us. The pace is there, but we need a clean weekend to show it.”