The error that cost Charles Leclerc pole and handed McLaren their best qualifying | 2023 British GP. The mistake that cost Charles and promoted McLaren.

The crowd erupted in astonishment as Lando Norris crossed the line, momentarily claiming pole position for the 2023 British Grand Prix at Silverstone in his final Q3 attempt. However, their excitement was short-lived as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen swiftly surpassed his own best time by 0.241 seconds, resulting in a chorus of disappointed sighs.

Unbeknownst to the spectators, Charles Leclerc was delivering an impressive lap behind the wheel of the Ferrari SF-23 car, matching the Dutchman’s pace throughout the 5.8km circuit. Nevertheless, it was a costly error from the Monegasque that allowed Max Verstappen to secure his fifth consecutive pole in the 2023 Formula One championship, simultaneously granting McLaren their first front-row start since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix.

Red Bull had recognized the significance of the out-lap in qualifying, which ultimately led to Sergio Perez’s fifth consecutive early exit. The Mexican once again struggled to generate tire heat, having waited at the end of the pits for nine minutes in the cool 20°C conditions before his final run in Q1.

In the midst of their earlier dispute over preference, Charles Leclerc strategically positioned himself ahead of Carlos Sainz during the preparation for the final runs.

The activation of the DRS at the beginning of Q3, deemed dry and no longer slippery by Race Control, added another element to the equation. The DRS serves as a key asset for the RB19, as demonstrated in Saudi Arabia and at the Baku City Circuit. During Friday’s practice, Ferrari successfully matched Red Bull’s speeds using DRS for the first time this season, both reaching 326kph in the speed trap.

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HEAD-TO-HEAD LECLERC VS VERSTAPPEN VS NORRIS

Analysis of the telemetry data reveals multiple instances where the Monegasque had the advantage over Max Verstappen, particularly in the first DRS zone at the Wellington Straight.

While the Dutchman displayed deeper braking into Vale and faster acceleration exiting Luffield, Charles Leclerc showcased his speed along the National Straight, through the high-speed Copse, and into Maggots and Becketts. The Red Bull man managed to gain time exiting Chapel and onto the Hangar Straight, highlighting the RB19’s agility in changing direction swiftly without sacrificing speed.

Initially, Charles Leclerc was faster into Stowe, but a mid-corner mistake caused him to lose 20kph in cornering speed. The Ferrari man attributes this mistake to the low sunset, as the final stage of qualifying at the Silverstone track commenced more than ten minutes later than scheduled due to earlier red flags.

A look at the data shows there were several moments where Leclerc had the edge on Verstappen, notably the first DRS zone at the Wellington Straight.

Verstappen was deeper on the brakes into Vale and quicker exiting Luffield, but Leclerc picked up the pace on the run down the National Straight, through the high-speed Copse, and into Maggots and Becketts.

Verstappen gained time exiting Chapel and onto the Hangar Straight, the RB19 showcasing its ability to change direction quickly without scrubbing off speed.

Leclerc was initially quicker into Stowe but made a mistake midway through the corner which caused him to lose 20kph in cornering speed. The Monegasque attributes the error to the low sunset, as Q3 started over 10 minutes later than it should have owing to the earlier red flags.

“I maybe did not expect for the sun to go out that much,” the Ferrari man explained on Saturday – “I went a bit aggressive with the front wing, and I lost the rear in some corners and that cost me quite a bit.” – he pointed out.

The error alone resulted in a loss of three-tenths compared to his rival, leaving Charles Leclerc’s time 0.416s behind the Dutchman’s best lap. Without the mistake, the Ferrari driver would have been within a tenth of Verstappen’s time and securely positioned on the front row of the grid.