Charles Leclerc eliminated in Q2
Charles Leclerc was eliminated in Q2 during the Qualifying session for the 2023 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. Like 13 other drivers, Charles Leclerc went out in Q2 with the intermediate tires, even though the track was already drying up towards the end of Q1, reaching the crossover point between the intermediate and dry tires. Only Alexander Albon with Williams immediately went out on slick tires, bringing them to the right temperature and even setting the fastest time in Q2.
Midway through Q2, it started raining again. Charles Leclerc wanted to switch to slick tires immediately, but the Maranello team asked him to complete a lap on intermediates for safety reasons, and that lap was not perfect. By the time Charles Leclerc switched to slicks, the track was too wet, and even the late switch back to intermediates was futile. Sergio Perez was also eliminated in Q2, just like Charles Leclerc, who immediately criticized the team for not immediately responding to his request to switch to slick tires.
Charles Leclerc’s words
“It wasn’t difficult to understand that the track was dry. It was clear to me during the out-lap. I don’t know why we stayed on intermediates on a completely dry track,” said Charles Leclerc to Sky Sport’s microphones. “We switched to slicks when it started raining. We make our lives much more difficult. It should have been an easy session: you go out, realize that the track is dry, come back to the pits, and put on slicks. I don’t agree with the team’s choice. Our performance had been good in FP2, so it’s even more a shame but it is what it is. We need to focus on tomorrow but it has been going that way for multiple Saturdays now so I hope that at least tomorrow we will gain some positions. It creates frustration and … we need to be better than that but I’ve been saying that for a while now. It’s frustrating and I hope they will listen to me a bit more in the future.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out at the end of the Qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix.
