From the opportunity to attack for the front row to starting from the fifth row on a track where overtaking is extremely difficult. Charles Leclerc couldn’t go beyond ninth place in the Singapore Grand Prix qualifying.
Q3 at Marina Bay started with Carlos Sainz crashing into the wall at the exit of the final corner while attempting a flying lap. The red flag gave drivers just one lap to position themselves on one of the most crucial grids of the year. Charles Leclerc did not respect track limits in Turn 2 because his tires were too cold, and as a result, he also ended up on the fifth row, although it’s worth noting that his time would not have placed him higher than seventh.
Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc will therefore start the Singapore Grand Prix from ninth position due to a mistake in Turn 2, which resulted in his time being canceled by race control. After exiting the car, he was interviewed by Mara Sangiorgio and shared his immediate emotions. Here are his words.
Charles Leclerc’s frustration
Reflecting on what happened during his final attempt in Q3, Charles Leclerc said: “The tires weren’t even 50% ready. We went out, and I don’t know how many degrees those front tires had. It had to happen once, and it happened in Q3 during our last attempt. I did everything to get them to temperature, but it was impossible. I arrived at Turn 1, locked up, and from that moment on, it was a disaster. I’m very disappointed because despite all our preparation, we found ourselves with a problem at the last attempt.” – the Monegasque driver explained.
The Ferrari driver added: “Today in Q3, we had the potential to be first or second. I just needed to take some risks in Q3, but I couldn’t because the tires were cold.”
When Italian journalist Mara Sangiorgio asked him what a realistic goal for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix might be, he responded, “I’m very disappointed, and I’d prefer not to talk about tomorrow. We know that qualifying is everything in Singapore, so our hopes of winning are slim. I will definitely come back at 100% tomorrow, but I’m truly disappointed.” – Charles Leclerc admitted at the end of the qualifying session which took place earlier today at the 4.94-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit.
