Charles Leclerc made the manager choices on his tyre decisions that led to a “under expectations” seventh on the grid for the System 1 Spanish Grand Prix, aiming to have higher tyres for the race.
Leclerc burned via an additional set of tyres in Q1 after which aborted a second run within the second stage of qualifying, with the purpose of maintaining them marginally extra recent for Sunday’s race, however this left him with only one new set to make use of within the ultimate stage of qualifying.
The Monegasque was thus given one run in Q3, which he elected to take in the course of the session – which left his preliminary effort to achieve fourth on the provisional grid inclined to the advance from different drivers.
As such, Leclerc dropped to seventh as Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen improved on their final efforts to maneuver in entrance of the Ferrari driver on Sunday’s grid.
Leclerc defined that he’d wished to provide himself a “Plan B” to go once more, and that he took duty for qualifying being considerably under par.
“I believe that with two units in Q3 it is all the time simpler and I most likely would have discovered time,” Leclerc stated after the session.
“How a lot, I do not know. Additionally, I believe there was a bit of bit extra clouds. However I take full duty of the best way the qualifying has gone.
Frederic Vasseur, Group Principal of Scuderia Ferrari with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
“It was my selection and in Q3 it was my option to go within the center when the staff was pushing me to go to the top. I nonetheless wished to have a plan B in case that one lap wasn’t going to plan a mistake or in any way the possibility to have a second lap. In order that’s on me.”
Leclerc defined that he did this with a view to Sunday, however said that he would take duty – or credit score – relying on how his race ended up going.
He’ll begin straight behind his team-mate Hamilton on the grid, and alongside Alpine’s Pierre Gasly because the Frenchman loved a powerful Saturday at Barcelona.
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“I additionally did all these decisions with the intention to have higher tyres for tomorrow’s race. If tomorrow we now have a really unhealthy race then I am going to must take the duty of a nasty weekend,” he added. “If it goes nicely then I am comfortable to take the credit score of pushing the staff a method – however solely time will inform.
“Clearly P7 is a bit of bit under our expectations. Even with the alternatives I’ve made for qualifying I anticipate it to be a bit additional up. However it’s the best way it’s.
“Now the alternatives are made and I hope that tomorrow it should repay.”
Images from Spanish GP – Saturday
On this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
System 1
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
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