Charles Leclerc said he was “annoyed with myself” after making a mistake during qualifying, but admitted fourth on the grid was better than he expected.
The Ferrari driver said he had struggled with the balance of his car before qualifying.“Overall I’m happy on my side because after [final practice] I was quite lost with set-up and my driving and everything and I managed to get back where I wanted in qualifying.
“It has been a messy weekend for me on the driving side so I’m pretty happy to be here. Also I’m pretty disappointed because I did a mistake in my fast lap so there was potential in there. But overall I think I should be satisfied because it could have been a lot worse after [final practice].”
Leclerc will start alongside team mate Sebastian Vettel on the second row of the grid. He said he wasn’t particularly surprised the team were out-qualified by Mercedes.
“I think Valtteri [Bottas] was quick all weekend,” he said.
“Lewis [Hamilton] I heard was struggling a little bit with the car before qualifying. So no, it’s not such a surprise. I think it was more a surprise to see Lewis struggling in free practice than seeing them both quick in quali, we expected that.”
Don't miss anything new from RaceFans
Follow RaceFans on social media:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2019 F1 season
- Crying in the Melbourne car park at 2019 grand prix was my career low – Ocon
- McLaren Racing reports reduced £71 million loss in 2019
- Kvyat: Hockenheim podium last year was “my biggest achievement” so far
- How the FIA’s new encrypted fuel flow meter targets Ferrari’s suspected ‘aliasing’ trick
- “He smashed my office door”: 23 must-see moments from ‘Drive to Survive’ season two
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
13th April 2019, 12:36
Don’t worry Charley – “Spinning Top Seb” will soon let you gain a place ;)
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
13th April 2019, 12:56
I would return a spinning top for a refund if it can only spin like Vettel did.