Confirmed: Charles Leclerc keeps pole position after investigation | 2022 Australian GP. Charles keeps pole position after investigation.

Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been cleared to keep pole position for the 2022 Australian Grand Prix after an investigation of driving unnecessarily slowly on an in-lap during the qualifying session which took place earlier today at the Albert Park circuit. The FIA race stewards summoned the Maranello team’s driver some four hours after the conclusion of Q3 in Melbourne.

The championship leader had secured pole with a stunning final lap, which was almost three-tenths faster than early title rival Max Verstappen around the new Albert Park track, thus securing another pole position this year, after his P1 start in Bahrain.

But upon throwing out the investigation, the stewards’ report confirmed there was no further action against the Monegasque driver: “Charles Leclerc started a lap that was intended to be a cool-down lap, not an in lap, which would not be subject to the minimum time restriction of the regulation. Part-way through the lap, the decision was made to come in. During the lap there was heavy traffic and Charles Leclerc took effort to ensure that he did not impede other drivers on push laps. These efforts significantly slowed his lap time. As a result, the minimum time was breached. The Stewards accept the driver’s rationale for his actions; find that he acted reasonably under the circumstances; and, therefore, take no further action.”