Charles Leclerc explains why George Russell deserved Austrian GP pole despite Ferrari’s breakthrough
Charles Leclerc may have come within touching distance of claiming Ferrari’s first pole position in months, but the Monegasque was quick to acknowledge that George Russell ultimately deserved to start from the front after an outstanding qualifying performance at the Red Bull Ring.
Although the closing moments of Austrian Grand Prix qualifying generated widespread discussion following Max Verstappen’s accident and the subsequent yellow-flag controversy, Charles Leclerc refused to dwell on the incident. Instead, the Ferrari driver preferred to focus on the significant progress made by the Scuderia over the course of the weekend and the encouraging pace shown by the SF-26.
Charles Leclerc praises Ferrari’s progress despite missing pole
After a difficult Friday, Ferrari transformed its competitiveness overnight, allowing both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to secure places on the first two rows of the grid. While George Russell ultimately edged out the Ferrari duo, Charles Leclerc viewed the result as clear evidence that the team’s recent development programme is beginning to pay dividends.
The Ferrari driver explained that the latest upgrades introduced over recent race weekends have significantly improved the car, crediting everyone back at Maranello for continuing to push hard in the development race. According to Charles Leclerc, the substantial package introduced in Barcelona, followed by additional improvements in Austria, demonstrated that the team’s efforts were producing visible results on track.
He also admitted that qualifying itself had been far from straightforward. Throughout every session, Charles Leclerc struggled to find complete confidence under braking, only putting together his strongest lap when it mattered most in Q3. While briefly believing pole position might be within reach, he ultimately concluded that George Russell’s pace was simply beyond Ferrari’s reach on Saturday.
Ferrari’s front-row result marks an important step forward
Despite narrowly missing out on pole, Charles Leclerc regarded second place as an extremely positive outcome, particularly after several challenging weekends. Ferrari had endured difficult races in both Monaco and Canada, while a technical issue in Barcelona prevented the Scuderia from fully capitalising on its improved performance.
Returning to the front row represented an important confidence boost for both Charles Leclerc and the entire Ferrari team, confirming that the SF-26 is becoming increasingly competitive against Mercedes and McLaren.
George Russell had the pace to win qualifying
Reflecting on his decisive Q3 effort, Charles Leclerc admitted there were no major regrets. He explained that his objective had simply been to complete a clean, mistake-free lap rather than chase absolute perfection, acknowledging that such an approach can sometimes leave a small amount of lap time on the table.
Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc believed the outcome would not have changed, as George Russell had been operating at an exceptionally high level throughout qualifying. In his view, second place represented the maximum Ferrari could realistically achieve based on the pace available.
Ferrari shifts attention to Sunday’s race
Charles Leclerc also highlighted the remarkable turnaround Ferrari achieved compared to Friday, when the team appeared to be well off the pace. Overnight setup changes and continuous work by the engineers allowed the Scuderia to close the gap dramatically, producing a qualifying performance that exceeded expectations.
The Ferrari driver admitted he had not expected to finish ahead of both McLarens or to be so close to Mercedes, describing the result as a pleasant surprise for the entire team.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc remained realistic about Ferrari’s chances. While he still considered Mercedes to have a slight performance advantage over a race distance, he expressed confidence that Ferrari had significantly improved its race package. Should strategy, tyre management or changing race circumstances create an opportunity, Charles Leclerc made it clear that he intends to fight for victory and maximise every chance available.
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