Pole position missed by only 48 thousandths
Charles Leclerc, in this 2023 Formula 1 season that has been lacking in satisfaction so far, has already tasted the feeling of pole position at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, where he achieved two pole positions between Qualifying and the Sprint Shootout.
Today, the Scuderia Ferrari driver finished 48 thousandths behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with the best second sector, the one with the demanding corners where the pre-upgraded SF-23 would have surely struggled based what was seen in this first part of the Formula 1 season.
In the final sector, the Monegasque tried everything to push the limits of his SF-23 car, but he couldn’t outdo Max Verstappen, who was conservative due to track limits that turned qualifying into a gamble (ask Sergio Perez for more information).
Tomorrow, there will be the Sprint race, which will give a first taste of tire degradation ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“I would be really surprised if we had the same race as last year,” said Charles Leclerc in a press conference. “In Q3, we increased the front wing angle a bit, maybe we overdid it. Our weakness remains the race. However, we continue to see positive signs from Canada. Is this the turning point? It’s too early to say, more races are needed. Track limits? From inside the car, we don’t see much, it’s impossible to judge the car’s position. A wider white line? It would help in Turn 4, but I’m not sure about the final sector, where we carry a lot of speed. I would prefer to use the white-red curb, at least we can feel it. The white line is only visual.” – Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc explained at the end of the qualifying session for the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.
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