Leclerc after fifth place in qualifying: "Far above our expectations"
F1 News
Expectations for Ferrari's 1000th race were quite low, but Charles Leclerc has managed to secure a strong fifth place on the grid during qualifying.
Leclerc is visibly satisfied in front of the Sky Sports F1 camera after qualifying. “I am very happy with the whole lap. I put everything together and P5 was certainly above our expectations. I am so very happy with this," says the enthusiastic Monegasque.
“Monza and Spa were extremely difficult for the whole team. I struggled a lot to drive the car with the low downforce we had. It was very difficult with the balance. But here we got the balance right and it felt very good in the car. We lack the speed to fight with the boys in front, but the balance was very good today," the Ferrari driver continues.
Difficult task on Sunday
“It gave me the confidence so I could give my best in that qualifying lap. It was tricky, because in the first lap in Q3 I was driving with old tires. It was difficult to then go to a new set, but in the end, it worked."
Despite the joy, Leclerc is also realistic. Although he will start the race from fifth place, he is not sure if he can keep that position. “If we look at the race pace of the other teams on Friday, there are quite a few cars that are stronger than us. It's going to be difficult to keep them behind us, but that is my job in the car and will give everything," concludes the Monegasque.