F1 News: Charles Leclerc "Disappointed" With Bahrain GP Qualifying P2

Charles Leclerc reflects on his P2 start in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment at securing the second position on the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite this, he acknowledged the team's strong performance throughout the qualifying sessions.

Key Takeaways:

• Leclerc admitted to facing challenges during the weekend but found his rhythm in qualifying.
• Despite a strong performance in Q2, he felt the choice of tyres in Q1 affected his final qualifying round.
• He remains optimistic about the race, acknowledging the team's progress since last year.

The Ferrari driver, who is set to start from the second position on the grid in the Bahrain Grand Prix, shared his mixed feelings about the qualifying sessions. 

"I’m a bit disappointed, but yeah, we did a good qualifying. It’s been a tricky weekend until now. We were trying quite a few things in practice and then I found the sweet spot in qualifying," Leclerc revealed.

The challenge began in Q1, where the strategic decision to use two new sets of soft tyres had a knock-on effect on their Q3 performance. 

"Q1 was a bit tricky. Unfortunately we put on two new sets of softs, which compromised a little bit the Q3, but all in all it’s quite a good qualifying, a good start of the year. We are in a better place compared to a year ago, so that is good. Now we have to see the race pace tomorrow."

Leclerc's performance in Q2 was particularly noteworthy, with lap times that rivalled those of Max Verstappen in Q3. 

"In Q2 I think I did a .1 which was more or less the lap time that Max did in Q3, so it was there in the car. I think we lost a little bit the rhythm with the used set of C3 in Q3, then you have to readapt to the new tyres and I lost a little bit there, but all in all it’s been a positive qualy."

Looking ahead to the race, Leclerc remains cautiously optimistic. He acknowledges the advancements made since the previous season but is mindful of the stiff competition, particularly from Red Bull. 

"I’m confident we did a step forward but we have to wait and see tomorrow how much of a step forward we did. We really think that Red Bull is still ahead by quite a bit, in the race I mean. So we’ll see, but if there’s an opportunity as always I’ll go for it, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow."

As the grid stands, Max Verstappen takes pole position, with George Russell of Mercedes lining up in third place. 

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