An eighth place just “incredible” for Leclerc!
The Monegasque created a sensation in the Qualifying at Castellet! He clinches the first Q3 of his career and Sauber's first... in 3 years!
Where will Charles Leclerc’s wild ride stop? The Sauber rookie’s season never ceases to amaze. It was the case again this afternoon at the Paul Ricard circuit. After securing a Q3 passage in the last flying lap, Leclerc climbed to eighth place, managing to get ahead of both Haas cars of Magnussen and Grosjean (who crashed at the start of the session).
The Monegasque couldn’t believe it as he got out of the car, especially considering a difficult Friday, 18th in FP1 and 17th in FP2: « It’s just incredible! It’s probably the best turnaround of my career. Friday was a disaster, the car wasn’t good at all. I have no words to describe what I’m feeling right now. It’s great! We have to be proud of what we accomplished today. »
The solution to the settings was found on Friday evening, much to the delight of the Sauber driver.
« I went to bed late last night. We worked hard with the engineers to find the source of the problems. We completely changed the car and I felt much better. Finally, they understood well what I wanted from the car, which is what we did. »
After this great performance, Charles Leclerc is now focusing on the race, hoping to earn more points, following those obtained in Baku, Barcelona, or Montreal. Will his impressive performance today backfire on him? The drivers behind him will be able to start with the tires of their choice…
« It will be a difficult race. I will start with the softest tires, which is not ideal. It will be difficult… But I will try to score points. »
By then, Leclerc will have made an impression: he becomes the first Sauber driver to reach Q3… since Felipe Nasr, three years ago: an eighth place secured in Austria. The next day, the Brazilian finished just outside the points, 11th.
💬 @Charles_Leclerc's reaction just after his amazing qualifying session “formidable” 👌#GPFranceF1 🇫🇷 #FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/Fe4oxOh5R6
— Grand Prix de France F1 (@GPFranceF1) 23 juin 2018
