Charles Leclerc flashes his middle finger to Isack Hadjar after the latter ruined his Q3 lap in pursuit of Canadian GP pole
Charles Leclerc made his frustration clear during Q3 of the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying in Montreal on Saturday (June 14), after Isack Hadjar's dirty air disrupted his flying lap. The Monegasque responded by sticking his middle finger up at the Racing Bulls youngster as he sped past him on the straight, captured on the live broadcast.
Leclerc seemed to be on a mission after a tough start to his weekend when a practice incident forced him to enter Q3 with less track time than his rivals. His first sector was purple and fastest of all, a clear sign the SF-25 had the pace for the pole. But oversteering in Turn 6 caused him to lose control and run into the dirty air from Hadjar's car, forcing him to slow down.
His frustration came out on the Racing Bulls' young star when he appeared to raise his middle finger towards him. However, the Ferrari driver gave a more composed take on the incident, while talking to the press about going for the final flying lap early (via Race Fans):
"I don't know if it was the right thing or not to go out early. We ended up having Isack in the middle of turn six or seven in the middle. He was 100 metres in front but with these cars and on a track like this, you lose all the grip... So I'm very frustrated. I think today the car was really good and we haven't maximized anything"
Charles Leclerc was third fastest going into Q3, matching the pace of Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Lando Norris.
However, it quickly turned into a showdown at the very top once Q3 began. The first runs were messy, with Norris making a small mistake and losing his lap, and Piastri temporarily going fastest. Max Verstappen fought back immediately with a strong lap of 1:11.059, only for Russell to grab the pole by just over a tenth, with a stunning lap time of 1:10.899.
Charles Leclerc misses pole despite feeling "the car was good enough" in Canada
Charles Leclerc came into the Canadian Grand Prix weekend after consecutive podium finishes in Monaco and Spain. However, he suffered an early setback. His practice sessions were disrupted by a heavy incident in FP1 when a lock-up into Turn 3 forced him into the grass and into the wall. This kept him out of FP2 entirely, forcing his team to repair the SF-25's survival cell.
However, the Monegasque fought back in FP2, clocking the second fastest time once repairs were finished and then matching the pace of the leaders in FP3. His Q1 and Q2 runs were strong and assured until Q3 fell away under him.
"The pace was there. I think the car was good enough for pole. But I fu**ed it up completely. I am very annoyed. I just got out of the car so obviously emotions are running high. I am very annoyed," Leclerc added.
Leclerc, meanwhile, fell victim to messy air and small mistakes, forcing him into P8 with a 1:11.682, well off his true potential, while Hadjar finished P9. His teammate Lewis Hamilton performed slightly better at P5, nearly six-tenths off the pole time. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was also frustrated with Hadjar, feeling the Racing Bulls rookie held him up and impacted his Q2.
Ferrari was within a tenth of the leaders in final practice, suggesting a strong base to attack from, but their qualifying fell short. Nevertheless, the Canadian Grand Prix is a track well-known for its overtaking opportunities, which means all hope is not lost for Charles Leclerc.