Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment over securing fifth place in the Australian qualifying session, with his Maranello teammate starting on the front row tomorrow.
Despite being a favorite for pole position at the Albert Park circuit, Charles Leclerc only managed to finish fifth in the Australian qualifying, also falling behind Sergio Perez and an excellent Lando Norris. The Monegasque made a couple of errors too many on his last attempt in Q3, aborting the lap and returning to the pits. Thus, Charles will start in the third row tomorrow, while his Ferrari teammate will try to challenge Max Verstappen right from the start, as the Dutchman secured an amazing pole at the end.
Charles Leclerc Outmaneuvered
“We perhaps underestimated Red Bull’s strength in qualifying and in FP3, so pole would have been difficult, but I did not maximize the car, that’s clear,” Charles began on Sky Sport. “I didn’t do a good job in FP3 and lost the feeling with the car. I managed to complete the lap anyway. I was confident that the feeling would come back in qualifying, but instead, I lost it even more.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out.
Charles Leclerc had shown excellent pace in all three free practice sessions, and at least a front row start was expected from him in qualifying. However, it was a heroic Carlos Sainz who placed the Ferrari alongside the usual Max Verstappen, who, despite still being far from his best physical condition, displayed a massive performance.
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Discussing the reasons behind his loss of feeling with the SF24 between yesterday and today, Charles Leclerc explained: “Yesterday, the front was very good, this morning we lost it a bit, and in qualifying a lot. On the last run, I was very aggressive with the front flap, but probably we went in the wrong direction.” – he added.
“I wanted to try, but looking back I should perhaps have settled for third place and stayed ahead. I wanted to try something but I was too aggressive.”
However, Charles Leclerc will have the chance to redeem himself in the race, with Friday’s race simulation giving hope for a comeback. The declared goal is the podium, while victory will still be a challenge with an RB20 that is too strong, at least in the hands of the Dutch driver.
“There are four DRS zones, so for tomorrow everything is possible. The race pace is not bad, so the podium is always the goal. Realistically, victory is difficult, even starting second as Carlos will. I think Red Bull’s pace is better than ours, unless there are surprises tomorrow. I am still convinced that they have a certain margin, but if we can get a good start, I can put pressure on Checo and the cars ahead,” Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc concluded at the end of the qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix.
Source: f1ingenerale
