Formula 1
BOOM! FERRARI’S LECLERC TAKES POLE FOR THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON. MAX P2 LCH NICE AND COMFI NEXT TO BOTTAS!
Charles Leclerc took the first pole position out of 23 this season in Formula 1 ahead of reigning Dutch champion Max Verstappen
LECLERC: “I saw some benefits during the (pre-season) tests but we will have to see in the race how close we can get,” said Leclerc at a press conference on Friday.
Another specificity this year, the drivers qualified in the first ten positions can now freely choose their starting tires, like those who follow them (this choice was previously constrained by those made in qualifying).
“It’s much fairer for everyone to start the race with the same opportunities,” Sainz said.
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 19: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 is pushed back into the gara during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 19, 2022 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
MAX VERSTAPPEN, Position: 2nd, 1:30.681 (Practice 3 – P1, 1:32.544)
“Overall, it’s not a bad position to be in, of course you always want more but this is a positive start to the season. I think we have a good race car which is important and with it being the start of the season, there are still a lot of things to learn.
Q2 was good but Q3 was a bit more hit and miss with not really getting the right balance. There was some oversteer and understeer so you can’t really attack the corner which makes it quite difficult to put that lap together, so that’s something we’ll need to look into.
The Ferraris are of course very close and it’s going to be a tough battle, they have two strong drivers so it’s going to be exciting. The weather is meant to be warmer tomorrow so it’ll be a bit tougher on the tyres. As a Team we just have to see how competitive we are in the race, it’s a long season and a lot can happen.”