CHARLES LECLERC WON POLE POSITION FOR THE GRAND PRIX AT THE HUNGARORING!

WITH CONDITIONS ON THE TRACK CHANGING AS THE DAY WENT ALONG, AND SOME DRIZZLE MAKING AN APPEARANCE, TOWARDS THE END OF Q2 AND THROUGHOUT QUALIFYING, CHARLES LECLERC CERTAINLY SEEMED TO ADAPT QUICKLY, ULTIMATELY ‘MAKING HAY’ WITH AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY, WHEN HE HAD BEEN TRAILING THE MCLARENS, UNTIL THE SURPRISE DRAMA LATE IN THE RACE, MEANT THAT HE SAILED HOME BEATING OSCAR PIASTRI BY 0.015 SEC! (IT WAS LECLERC’S 1ST POLE OF THE SEASON – AND HE SAID BEFORE THE RACE THAT THIS WAS NOT HIS FAVOURITE TRACK! ONE WONDERS HOW HE FEELS NOW?)

CHARLES LECLERC EXPLAINS HOW HE DID IT AFTER THE RACE “I HAVE NO WORDS, IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST POLE POSITIONS I’VE EVER HAD BECAUSE I DID NOT EXPECT THAT. TODAY I DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING IN F1. THE WHOLE QUALIFYING HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT – AND WHEN I SAY THAT, IT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION!

IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET TO Q2 AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET TO Q3. IN Q3, THE CONDITIONS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, EVERYTHING BECAME A LOT TRICKIER AND I KNEW I HAD TO JUST DO A CLEAN LAP TO TARGET THIRD, AND IT ENDED UP AS POLE POSITION! I DEFINITELY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT!”

LEWIS HAMILTON (WHO FINISHED 12TH AND IS PRETTY DOWN ON HIMSELF AT THE MOMENT) WAS OVERHEARD AS SAYING “I DROVE TERRIBLY”, BUT ALSO WENT ON TO SAY “CLEARLY A MASSIVELY DISAPPOINTING DAY AND BEING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A TENTH COST ME. CONGRATULATIONS TO CHARLES AND THE TEAM. I’VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND WILL REMAIN FOCUSED ON THAT.”

FERRARI TEAM PRINCIPAL FRED VASSEUR SAID “THIS WAS NOT AN EASY POLE AS WE STRUGGLED IN Q1 AND Q2 TO GET THE TYRES IN THE RIGHT WINDOW AND WE WERE NOT FAR OFF HAVING BOTH OUR CARS OUT IN Q2. CONDITIONS WERE CHANGING MASSIVELY, WITH EVEN SOME RAIN IN Q2. THEN IN THE END, CHARLES FOUND THE WAY TO PUT THE TYRES IN THE RIGHT WINDOW AND THE CORRECT SPOT ON THE OUT LAP. IT WAS A MEGA LAP AND IT’S A VERY POSITIVE PERFORMANCE.

LEWIS WAS VERY CLOSE TO CHARLES AND FAILED TO MAKE THE CUT BY JUST 15 THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND. AS FOR TOMORROW, WE MUST FOCUS ON OURSELVES, HAVE A GOOD STRATEGY AND THE RIGHT APPROACH FOR THE TYRES. IF WE DO THAT, WE CAN HAVE A GOOD ONE AS OUR RACE PACE IS GENERALLY STRONGER THAN OUR QUALI PACE.”

VERSTAPPEN SAID “WE TRIED A LOT AS A TEAM AND UNFORTUNATELY NOTHING REALLY HELPED OUR BALANCE. IT’S REALLY DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN HOW WE SUDDENLY JUST HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES WITH THE CAR. NO GRIP IN THE FRONT AND REAR, DIFFICULT TO BALANCE IT OUT. IT’S A BIT OF A MYSTERY AT THE MOMENT, JUST THE WHOLE WEEKEND OFF PACE.”

ALONSO SAID “SINCE P1, WE FELT COMPETITIVE AND A VERY DIFFERENT LAYOUT FROM SPA SEVEN DAYS AGO. WE WERE LAST ROW OF THE GRID AND NOW WE ARE FIFTH AND SIXTH. SO A HUGE CHANGE AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY AND WE NEED TO LEARN WHAT IS BENEFITTING THE CAR HERE, AND WE NEED TO TAKE THESE LESSONS INTO THE NEXT GRAND PRIX!”

MANY CONGRATULATIONS CHARLES AND TO THE WHOLE FERRARI TEAM!

BY AMANDA WATERS