Charles Leclerc, the Monaco driver, is confident that Ferrari will have a chance to secure the top spot in the classification of the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix. However, he expects strong competition from other teams.
Leclerc has gained a reputation for his exceptional performance in single-lap qualifying sessions since moving up to the top of the races. He has achieved an impressive streak of six consecutive front-row starts.
During the previous race in Bahrain, Leclerc was three tenths of a second behind Max Verstappen’s fastest lap time. However, his lap time in Q2 was the best overall.
In the practice session held in Saudi Arabia, Leclerc finished in fourth place, 0.353 seconds behind Fernando Alonso’s fastest time. The differences between the drivers were once again very small, with only one second separating the top 14 drivers in FP2.
Leclerc believes that a clean lap will be crucial to securing a good grid position. He acknowledges that Ferrari needs to improve overnight, but emphasizes the importance of a clean qualifying session.
“The starting position will be determined by the drivers who can make a clean lap,” commented Leclerc.
Leclerc expressed his satisfaction with his performance so far, but recognized that there is still work to be done. He noted that Aston Martin seems to be strong at the moment, but believes that qualifying will ultimately be decided by whoever can maximize their package.
Leclerc mentioned that street circuits are his favorite type of tracks. In his previous visits to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, he qualified in second place.
When asked about Ferrari’s chances of securing pole position, Leclerc replied: “It’s always difficult to say, but I think we are all very close, so I would bet on it.”
Leclerc also pointed out that Aston Martin showed a strong performance in Bahrain initially, but struggled as the weekend progressed. He expects the same pattern to occur in Saudi Arabia and for all teams to be very balanced.
“I believe that from tomorrow onwards, we should all be very competitive,” Leclerc concluded.
