Will Charles Leclerc’s bold strategy pay off? Insights from Sky’s experts | F1 Spain GP. Charles Leclerc took a risk in qualifying by saving a fresh soft tire for the race..

Charles Leclerc’s qualifying at the Spanish GP was not among the best, as he will start from seventh position. However, this choice was planned before going out on track, as the Monegasque driver decided to take the risk of making only one attempt but saving a soft tire for the race. An important wildcard for a track where degradation and high temperatures always play a role.

It is difficult to predict the actual advantage of this compromise, as Ivan Capelli explained to Sky’s microphones: “Starting from fourth position with an extra soft tire would have been a different story. In the first laps, Charles has to recover everything, but his tire was only used for one lap, so it’s possible. The team decided to go almost all-in for the race. They understood that tire management is crucial; we will see if it pays off.”

For Marc Genè, aiming for first place will be difficult, but with this strategy the podium would not be unrealistic: “It will be a race with a lot of tire degradation and several pit stops. Charles’s choice is to attack Max for the podium, although we don’t know Mercedes’ pace. Then I think the first two positions will always be occupied by the McLaren cars.” – the Ferrari brand ambassador concluded ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place later today at the 4.657-kilometre Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.