Leclerc third on the grid at Silverstone, result maximized!
Charles Leclerc set the third fastest time in qualifying, 79 thousandths behind Bottas. The Monegasque clearly couldn't do better. He will share the second row tomorrow, just ahead of Max Verstappen, his rival from the Red Bull Ring.
This time, it’s missed! Despite a very good Q2, finishing first with a time of 1:25.533, the Monegasque driver made a few mistakes in Q3 and couldn’t secure his second consecutive pole, after the one obtained in Austria two weeks ago.
With this qualification at Silverstone, the Ferrari driver still outpaces the winner of the last race in Austria, Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc will also be the first pursuer of the Silver Arrows at the start this Sunday: « I think we were very good in Q2 but also that Mercedes pushed their engine a bit more in Q3. They were extremely fast, even in the corners and that’s where we need to work the most. I’m still satisfied because it’s the best we could do today. I gave it my all! »
On the stats side, Leclerc continues to catch up with Vettel, who now leads only 6 to 4 in qualifying this season… when he was leading 6 to 1 just a month ago! Both men have 4 podiums each, but the Monegasque has fought twice for victory, in Bahrain and Spielberg. Yet despite his efforts, Charles Leclerc is still searching for his first Formula 1 win, while Ferrari, without a victory this season, is looking to return to the top step of the podium.
From his third place this Sunday, Leclerc can still harbor some hopes, unlike Vettel, who is only sixth on the grid. By his own admission, the German experienced a “strange” drop in performance, with just a tenth of an improvement between his best Q1 time… and Q3!
