Leclerc Secures Front Row Start at Imola but Sainz Crash Mars Ferrari’s Day

Charles Leclerc missed out on pole position in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix but almost eight-tenths of a second to title rival Max Verstappen, but the Monegasque racer says he cannot be unhappy with the position on what was a tricky day for all amid changeable weather conditions at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

The Scuderia Ferrari driver had been on top after the first runs in Q3 but lost out to the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver despite both drivers having to go through a yellow flag zone after Valtteri Bottas stopped at the side of the track.

Leclerc aborted one lap in Q3 and was set to go again when red flags flew again, meaning he was unable to take the battle to Verstappen for pole.  However, he feels he does have the pace in the F1-75 to fight for the Sprint race win on Saturday.

“Qualifying didn’t end exactly as I wanted it to, but starting the race from P2 isn’t too bad,” said Leclerc.  “It was a tricky one. Q1 and Q2 were all about making it through to Q3 – and then pushing hard.

“I did one strong lap in the last session, then decided to abort my second lap to save the tyres for my last two runs at the end of Q3. Unfortunately, that never happened because of the red flags.

“It’s a shame, but everything is still possible. We’ve been competitive in all sessions so far and have the potential to fight for the win tomorrow.”

“It’s a difficult moment but now it’s time to focus on what is ahead” – Carlos Sainz Jr.

Whereas Leclerc was relatively happy with his grid spot, the same could not be said for team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. after the Spaniard crashed towards the end of Q2.

Sainz had already done enough to get through to Q3, but the contact with the wall ended his day and he was forced to watch the battle from pole position from the side-lines.

Having signed a new contract earlier in the week, Sainz was looking to reward the team for their trust in racing for the Scuderia through to 2024, but instead he was forced to apologise for bringing them work in repairing the car before Saturday’s running at Imola.

“This is a very tough one to take and there is little to say other than sorry to the entire team and every fan out there,” said Sainz.  “I wasn’t even pushing that hard, as we had more than enough pace to make it into Q3 comfortably.

“The car surprised me with a snap and I couldn’t stop it before hitting the wall. Thinking positively, the weekend is not over yet and I still have the Sprint race and the Grand Prix on Sunday to try to recover.

“It’s a difficult moment but now it’s time to focus on what is ahead.”

Carlos Sainz Jr. crashed during Qualifying and will start tenth – Credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office