Charles Leclerc admitted he was surprised by the FIA’s decision to display only a single yellow flag following Max Verstappen’s crash during the closing moments of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Although George Russell ultimately snatched pole position from the Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc made it clear that his frustration was not directed at the Mercedes driver, but rather at the way Race Control handled the incident.
Charles Leclerc settles for P2 after dramatic Austrian GP qualifying
At the Red Bull Ring, Charles Leclerc came within seconds of claiming what would have been his 28th Formula 1 pole position and his first in ten months. The Monegasque briefly topped the timesheets in the final minutes of Q3 before George Russell produced an even faster lap in one of the most dramatic finishes to a qualifying session this season.
It remains difficult to determine whether Max Verstappen’s crash ultimately helped or hurt Charles Leclerc. Before the Red Bull driver’s accident, both Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were improving on their laps, meaning Ferrari could just as easily have dropped to the second row. What did surprise Charles Leclerc, however, was Race Control’s decision to display only a single yellow flag after Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 9, rather than immediately introducing double yellow flags.
Charles Leclerc: “I’m not angry with George”
Speaking to Sky Sport F1, Charles Leclerc stressed that he had no complaints about George Russell’s driving, believing the Mercedes driver had complied with the regulations that were in place.
“I’m not angry with George, and I’m not angry with anyone. There was a yellow flag and he slowed down enough, so there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m surprised that this incident resulted in only a single yellow flag.”
“I didn’t actually see the accident, but I did see Max’s car afterwards and it was obviously a significant impact. Maybe that’s what we should be discussing.”
Growing confidence despite recent setbacks
Despite narrowly missing out on pole position, Charles Leclerc admitted he left qualifying feeling more encouraged than he had in recent weeks after Ferrari’s strong turnaround.
“Happy? Let’s say I’m a little more satisfied. Even in this qualifying session, I didn’t really have the feeling that it was going to be one of those days where I knew I’d be quick. I still don’t have that confidence because, for different reasons, the last two weekends haven’t gone well, and you carry that with you into the next race weekend.”
“I simply wanted a clean weekend, and in Q3 you don’t want to attempt a lap where there’s a 30 percent chance that something won’t work.”
With second place on the grid and Ferrari showing significantly improved pace compared to Friday, Charles Leclerc will now turn his attention to Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, hoping the Scuderia can convert its encouraging qualifying performance into a fight for victory.
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