Spanish GP 2023: Charles Leclerc reflects on disappointing performance during qualifying at Barcelona
Jun 04, 2023
Barcelona [Spain], June 4 : After being knocked out of Q1 for the first time since 2019, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid as he managed to finish 19th only in front of the Williams' Logan Sargeant at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, reported Sky Sports.
Reflecting on his performance, Leclerc stated that there was something off with his car and the team needs to analyse it.
"I don't have the answer for now, the only thing I can say is that the left-hand corners were undrivable, the right-hand corners the feeling was very similar to this morning," Leclerc was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"But there's just something off in the left-hand corners that we need to analyse and understand because it was very hard. I thought it was the tyres on the first set, but then went onto the second set and the feeling was exactly the same."
"I just had no grip at all in the left-hand corners from the rears. We'll check the car and I will be very surprised if everything was fine. So many moments and even during the first red flag I nearly lost it and put it in the gravel in the left-hand corner and these were just very, very weird behaviour so we'll have to check." The Ferrari driver added.
Leclerc is the only non-Red Bull driver to have taken a pole position this season. During Spanish GP he was knocked out in Qualifier 1 for the first time since the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.
It was later confirmed by Ferrari that they were unable to carry out an inspection of the car on Saturday evening due to parc ferme regulations.
"Even this morning in those conditions, in the tricky conditions of this morning. I was feeling really good with the car. So there's something off." Leclerc concluded.
Spanish GP Qualifying Result: Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Lando Norris (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Pierre Gasly (Alpine*).
