Charles Leclerc continues to deliver strong performances in qualifying
Once again, Charles Leclerc made it into Q2. Although he qualified with the 13th fastest time, he will have to start 18th due to a gearbox change, which resulted in a five-place penalty.
Impermeable to the rumors persistently linking him to Ferrari, Charles Leclerc maintains his level of competitiveness, particularly in the qualifying lap exercise. Thus, for the sixth time this season, we saw the Monegasque driver slip his Sauber into Q2, while his teammate, Marcus Ericsson, finished with the slowest time of the session.
He was all smiles when we went to meet him in the paddock at the Red Bull Ring: “Very happy with my qualifying! We might have expected to do a bit better, but the other teams have improved more than us compared to free practice.” His satisfaction comes from maximizing the car’s potential: “I am very proud of the team for giving me the car I want in terms of balance, and I am happy with my lap.”
But his day was somewhat marred by the mishap experienced at the end of free practice 3: his rear suspension broke, which caused his gearbox to break. Forced to replace it, the rookie receives a five-place penalty, which puts him in 18th position: « It’s a bit unfortunate to lose five places, but that’s how it is. »
This evening, there will be important discussions with his engineers to determine which approach to adopt during the first laps of the race to compensate for his position on the grid: « It’s sure that I will probably take a bit more risk than usual. When you start 18th, the points are quite far away. So it’s necessary to be well placed at the end of the first lap. »
From our special correspondent in Austria
