Charles Leclerc, “the emotions” of a first pole in Formula 1!
The Monegasque tries to keep his feet on the ground after his performance in qualifying at Sakhir! Charles Leclerc outpaced Sebastian Vettel, who is pleased with the overall level of Scuderia Ferrari.
A pole, but no euphoria: Charles Leclerc already has the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Yet the Monegasque has just made Formula 1 history by becoming the second youngest poleman ever, at 21 years, two months, and 11 days. The new Scuderia Ferrari driver remained very calm as he got out of the car, with well-chosen words.
« I am extremely happy, the car is amazing », he replied to Paul Di Resta, who was in charge of the post-session interview.
The satisfaction of beating his teammate
The hope of the Reds benefited from the strength of the Ferrari package, ahead of Mercedes since the beginning of the weekend. Moreover, Charles Leclerc finished the three sessions of these qualifications at the top; and did the job by setting the best time in both the first and second attempt of Q3. 1:27.866, a time that erases Sebastian Vettel’s reference set last year on the same circuit. The 2018 poleman, this time in 2nd place, was thus outpaced by Leclerc, very pleased with his tour de force.
I’m thrilled that we locked out the front row. Seb is a great driver, and I learn a lot from him. But today, I’m happy to be ahead of him.
Charles Leclerc also showed a certain sense of relief after a disappointing performance in Australia two weeks ago, finishing 5th in both qualifying and the race.
« I was not very happy with my previous session. I really worked hard not to make the same mistakes here. »
Tomorrow on the grid, he will experience the thrill of a first start ahead of the rest of the pack. Will it destabilize him? There are many emotions running through me but I try to stay as cool as possible. Fully aware that the points will be distributed tomorrow, Charles Leclerc is in any case the 99th different pole-sitter in the history of Formula 1, the 33rd for Scuderia Ferrari, and the first Monegasque ever to achieve such a performance!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy @Charles_Leclerc‘s first F1 pole lap 💪#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 #F1 pic.twitter.com/uU7Kx2VDXw
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 30, 2019
Top 5 Youngest Pole Sitters in Formula 1
| Driver | Age | Grand Prix | |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | 21 years and 72 days | Italy 2018 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | 21 years and 166 days | Bahrain 2019 |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | 21 years and 236 days | Malaysia 2003 |
| 4 | Rubens Barrichello | 22 years and 97 days | Belgium 1994 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | 22 years and 153 days | Canada 2007 |
Vettel still satisfied
Second at the end of qualifying, Sebastian Vettel compromised his Q3… in Q2, by using an extra set of tires to get through. Over one lap, the German finished three-tenths off pole and ahead of both Mercedes. Sporting, the main person involved acknowledged that his teammate deserved his pole position.
« I want to congratulate Charles! As for me, I was a bit timid in the second sector. It wasn’t really perfect for me, but that’s how it is. Besides, even with a perfect lap, I would have struggled to beat him. When we were on the grid after the session, I told him to enjoy the moment because it’s his day today! »
But the four-time world champion is especially delighted with the regained pace of Scuderia Ferrari, in line with the private tests in Barcelona. The main thing to remember is that we did the job collectively. This weekend, the car is performing well. It’s even getting better and better as the weekend progresses! By tomorrow, the Italian team can also celebrate a great statistic, as it is the 62nd time it locks out the front row in the history of Formula 1, allowing it to draw level with Williams and McLaren.
