Leclerc Takes Responsibility for Qualifying Decisions
Charles Leclerc expressed his willingness to take full responsibility for any disappointment during the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix weekend, as he initiated the tyre strategies that negatively impacted his qualifying performance.
The Ferrari driver qualified seventh, placing two spots behind teammate Lewis Hamilton after selecting only one set of new soft tyres for Q3 and opting to run early in the session.
Leclerc acknowledged that the decisions leading to his situation were solely made by him, admitting he disregarded team advice regarding both tyre strategy and timing during qualifying. “I take responsibility for it because the team had pushed for a different choice,” he stated to Sky Sports.
He elaborated, “I made these choices to ensure better tyres for the race tomorrow. If the race goes poorly, then I will accept the consequences of a bad weekend.” He mentioned that if the outcome is favorable, he would be pleased to take credit for pushing the team in a particular direction.
Leclerc made strategic choices, conserving two sets of fresh medium tyres for the race while many competitors, except for the Haas drivers, settled for just one. This decision stemmed from running an additional soft tyre in the final practice session.
Although Leclerc had the option to secure a conservative time with used soft tyres at the beginning of Q3, he opted to use a new set early on, believing that track conditions would be optimal for his run. He needed to retain some performance from the used set for the race start.
Ferrari’s Performance and Future Strategy
Ferrari entered the Spanish GP weekend with hopes that a new front wing technical directive would enhance their competitiveness. However, Leclerc now observes a clear gap between Ferrari and competitors like McLaren, noting that despite a positive start in practice, qualifying revealed the team’s ongoing challenges.
