Teamwork made the dream work for Scuderia Ferrari while qualifying for the Turkey Grand Prix, how Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr worked together to get the Monegasque driver into the final qualifying, the team’s reward is a third place on the grid for Leclerc! Sainz started last because of a motor penalty.
Leclerc looked really impressive all weekend and qualifying was no different. However, the Monaco driver had slight problems in the first two qualifying sessions as the track was damp in places. Sainz, who knew that he would be the last to start regardless of his qualification, came to the rescue and gave Leclerc slipstream in the second qualifying to bring Leclerc into the final session.
Leclerc then managed it all alone in the third qualifying to place third in the race on Sunday Intercity Istanbul Park Circuit, right behind the pole sitter Valtteri Bottas. Leclerc is very happy with his starting position, which he bequeathed Lewis Hamilton Grid penalty and believes he has good potential for the race.
“I am satisfied with my qualifying. P4 is a good result for the team that ends up just behind the championship leaders, who are still hard to beat for us at the moment. We definitely maximized the potential of our car today. Q1 and Q2 were difficult for me as I opted for a lower downforce setup this weekend, which is the right choice for the race and hopefully should pay off tomorrow.
“But in today’s wet conditions I slipped a lot and had to fight for it. It was great to see that Carlos was there and gave me the slipstream on the last straight in Q2. It was a good teamwork and helped us make it into Q3. I’m happy with my last lap in the last session and I’m looking forward to the race. In dry conditions I am confident that we have good potential. “
“We are ready to fight our way up on behalf” – Carlos Sainz Jr.
Carlos Sainz Jr. played the perfect team role in qualifying, although it was already clear to the Spaniard that regardless of his qualification, he would start last. In this sense, Sainz Leclerc helped wherever he could.
In great shock Daniel Ricciardo retired in first qualifying after Sainz knocked him out on his last lap. Sainz jumped out of the elimination zone and threw Ricciardo into it. With Ferrari and that McLaren F1 team Fight for third place among the constructors, this could be a decisive moment for their third place.
Sainz is disappointed that he didn’t get a real chance in qualifying, but is fully motivated to calve through the field on Sunday.
“It was a shame we didn’t try to set the fastest time, especially given the car’s performance in dry conditions. It’s hard to score but when you look at the bigger picture it’s better to take the penalty now and have a better engine for the rest of the season. Our plan was implemented perfectly today. In Q1, we took calculated risks to get into Q2 comfortably and drove out a car that turned out to be a McLaren.
“In the second quarter I stayed in the garage and developed a perfectly timed strategy to help Charles with a little slipstream on his medium. For tomorrow it all depends on how the car feels in traffic and how we can drive through the field without damaging the tires too much. The pace has been encouraging all weekend so we’re ready to fight our way up as far as possible. Bring it on!”
Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari press office
The post “I am confident that we have good potential” – Charles Leclerc first appeared on monter-une-startup.
