Charles Leclerc asked if he can convert pole position at F1 Belgian Grand Prix: “Let’s be realistic…”
Red Bull’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen went fastest during qualifying on Friday in wet conditions but will incur a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race for exceedi▨ng his allocation of gearboxes for the season.
Red Bull have won every grand prix in a stunningly dominant 2023 and have Verstappen’s teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sergio Perez starting from P2.
Ferrari driver Leclerc was asked if he can cling onto the pole pꦡosition that he inherited after Verstappen’s penalty, and answered: “Let’s be realistic, I don’t think so.
“Red Bull are too quick. Even if Max ha🦂s a five-place grid penalty, I expect him to catch up.
“We’🃏ve got Checo right next 🔴to us, which will also be difficult to keep behind.
“It will be difficult. If there is▨ an opportunity, I’ll try to keep it, but it looks difficult on🌄 paper.”
Leclerc’s qualifying was an im𒅌pressive driver considering he has pr❀eviously struggled in the rain.
“On one hand it feels good,” he ♕said. “Not to underestimate how much I struggled in those conditions a few races ago.
“As I saidཧ in those times, I was working on my driving to get better.
“Today I felt at ease with the car.
“In Q3 we maybe💃 didn’t do every꧋thing right, we went too early, but it’s risk vs rewards. We went early to avoid yellow flags.
“The track was drying, we maybe lost time.
“It wo꧒uldn’t haꦗve been enough to be in front of Max anyway.
“I’m really happy, big steps forward.”
Verstappen reacted after qualifying: “Last year I had more penalties and we could still win the race. That’s still 🌜the target on Sunday.
“It was very tig𒉰ht. Of course the conditions are very tricky. The track was drying quickly.
“On my fiꦉnal lap in Q2 I didn’t have the confidence to push more. I was very lucky to be in P10.
“But then in Q3 you have two tyre setsꦜ, you k𒅌now that you can push more, risk a little more.
“To be on pole again? I know that I have to drop back on Su🌼nday ꩵwith the penalty.
“Sector 2 was still a bit damp. In some ⛦corners you h🌳ad to do an alternative line.
“It was about being confident𒉰 and risking everything to get more lap time.
“The car is quic𓄧k, luckily we could show that again.”
And Perꦆez added: “It was super tricky. We were expecting things to be a lot dryer, but it wasn’t the case.
“It took Q1 to dry up. The෴n we made sure to follo💜w the track. Q2 was tricky.
“But it worked⭕ well for us, we’re in a good position for Sunday.
“It’s always g꧂ood to be up here, to hav🌳e a good place in qualifying for the race.
“But all that matters is what we do on Sunday.
“My objective is to be as high up as possible.”
James𒐪 was a sports journalist at Sky⛎ Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
