Leclerc Silences Critics with Stellar Sprint Qualifying

Charles Leclerc’s impressive second-place finish in Miami’s Sprint Qualifying quashes doubts about his prowess.

Charles Leclerc was concerned during the Chinese Grand Prix that he was no longer as comfortable in qualifying. His second place in the Sprint Shootout in Miami will reassure the Ferrari driver, who had a rough start to his weekend by spinning during free practice.

“Qualifying has been a weak point for two consecutive races. China was a bit better but we didn’t have the car to show it,” Leclerc explains. “I only did a lap in Free Practice, so I had to go into qualifying and push hard right from the start.”

“We only had one set of tires in SQ1, so it was very tricky, but I immediately felt that the hard work and effort I put in earlier in the season to get the tires into the right window paid off.”

And Leclerc is happy to silence the commentary about him: “I am pleased because there is so much talk now, so many comments about you… you are only as good as your last race in this sport.”

“When you have two consecutive races where you’re bad in qualifying, where I haven’t done a good job, people start to talk. So, it’s good to stop that, and now we need to work on consistency and try to keep the tires consistently in the right window, as I have done in the past.”

Carlos Sainz failed to maintain the same performance throughout the session and is disappointed to be fifth: “We experienced a strange shift in behavior from the first to the last lap. We struggled a lot with the car’s grip, in the combination of sectors. This is something we need to look into, as I definitely struggled with it throughout qualifying.”

“The soft tire did not reach the optimal temperature for a good time in SQ3. Moreover, I made a mistake at turn 17 where I lost three or four tenths and I am not happy, obviously, but we can always come back tomorrow.”

“I have no explanation for the performance drop. I don’t know, because the sensations during free practice were good, then less so, so it’s hard to judge, I was surprised. It could have gone better, but it’s also true that the sensations were not great throughout the session.”