There could not have been a starker contrast between the two Ferrari Formula 1 drivers after qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.
While Charles Leclerc revelled in the upgraded Ferrari SF-25 to defy his own expectations by qualifying third, Lewis Hamilton described his failure to escape the first stage of qualifying for the second time in two days as "unacceptable".
As is usually the case after a bad day on track, Hamilton was taciturn when he faced the media after qualifying. He apologised for the track limits violation coming through Raidillion on his second run in Q1 that led to a lap of 1m41.664s, which was good enough for seventh, being deleted.
"My mistake," he said when asked about his frustration. "Just really sorry to the team. All the testing - the filming day we did, and all the preparation, and then we come here and we don't make it through Q1. It's unacceptable. Yeah, I'm really sorry."
Although he added "I don't agree" that he did exceed track limits, given it was "pretty much" the same line he'd used previously, he most likely changed his mind when he saw the evidence that showed he was, incrementally, over the white line. However, more telling was his reaction to the upgrades.
Asked if the car felt better, he responded, "no, not really", adding that the main limitation is still the "rear end". He also dismissed a question about whether there was a change of feeling with the rear axle this weekend with a straightforward "no".
Combined with his sprint disaster - he started 18th after locking the rears and spinning, characterising this as being triggered by a new component (but not one introduced by the Spa upgrade), then finished 15th - Hamilton didn't appear to share Leclerc's optimism.
However, in the cold light of day there might be some positives to be drawn by Hamilton given Leclerc's quietly content reaction to the upgrade. He said he went into qualifying expecting to be "fourth, but with a significant gap in front", so to be ahead of Max Verstappen and 0.338s off Lando Norris's pole position time on such a long lap was encouraging
He was also at pains to downplay what he calls hype about the upgrade to the rear suspension geometry that is understood to also feature a modified central damper that should allow Ferrari better platform control and therefore mean the car can run at a slightly lower ride height.
"A little bit," he said when asked about how different the upgrade made the car feel. "But then I think as always, especially for our team, everything is hyped up a lot. Yes, it's an upgrade and it's a step in the right direction, but we are still speaking about very fine differences over a whole lap.
"So, it feels a little bit different, and it's going in the right direction. That's thanks to the hard work that the whole team has done back at the factory. Unfortunately for us, McLaren has also brought a few things this weekend and seem to have done a small step in the right direction as well, so it's very difficult to close the gap. But I think we are doing a good job as a team and we just need to keep working."
Leclerc also said he "felt comfortable with the car from FP1", which is far more positive feedback than he's had at times during the year. However, he stressed it's not enough to transform Ferrari into a race-winning team.
"Yes and no," he said when asked by The Race if this upgrade gives him confidence that the second half of the season will be better than the first.
"It’s definitely going in the right direction once again. However, compared to the McLaren, I think we are probably on average three or four tenths behind in qualifying.
"We'll do a step forward, I don't think though that we'll find those three or four tenths in that upgrade. But it will help us to get closer. The more we use it, the more we'll be able to maximise this and there'll be some more potential to gain. But no, I don't think it's enough to be able to challenge the McLaren consistently from now on."
Perhaps most encouraging for Leclerc was that he felt confident in the car and able to push in something closer to his usual style in qualifying. At Silverstone, he lamented what he characterised as "not doing the job" in qualifying this year but now feels that the car makes him able to be more consistent.
And it's that previous lack of consistency, the difficulty he was having in dancing the car right on the edge as is his trademark, that meant his qualifying performances prior to Spa had lacked the great laps he is associated with.
"It’s a little bit better," he said of the improved comfort of the Ferrari to drive. "That's what helped me also a little bit this weekend to be a bit more consistent. The laptimes in qualifying, both in sprint qualifying and today, came together a bit easier. That's been my strength normally, but this year I've been struggling a little bit more to put everything together in qualifying.
"This weekend seems to be better, but we just need to prove that over multiple race weekends because the grip this weekend here is incredible. There's so much grip - but that's not only for us, but I also think for everybody. Generally, this makes it easier. So, we'll have to prove that on a track that is a bit trickier."
And this is exactly why Ferrari wants to keep a lid on the hype. There is not only more to do to optimise this package, but also a long way to go before Ferrari can hope to achieve its objectives of winning races.
However, it is a promising start - or at least, it is for Leclerc.
