Charles Leclerc will start the 2024 Bahrain GP from the front row, after finishing two-tenths behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen in qualifying. However, Leclerc knows that he had the pace to get P1 which is why he stands disappointed ahead of the race on Saturday.
Ferrari looked promising in FP3, with Carlos Sainz topping the time sheet. Optimistic Tifosi expected the Leclerc-Sainz duo to fight hard for the pole, and they did. But in the end, things didn’t quite work out, and the Monegasque driver fell just short.
In Q2 of qualifying, Leclerc’s lap time was 1:29.165, which was three-tenths of a second faster than his time in Q3. Agonizingly, for Leclerc, his Q2 time was faster than Verstappen’s Q3 time. So, if the Monegasque managed to even equal his Q2 exploits, he could have secured the first pole position of the year.
QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION
Verstappen and Leclerc start on the front row for the season opener #F1 #Bahrain pic.twitter.com/Kmz6j1Jv7E
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 1, 2024
Hence, after the session, Leclerc said, “In Q2 I think I did more or less the lap time that Max did in Q3, it was in the car but I think we lost a bit of rhythm in Q3 on used tires.”
Charles Leclerc: I’m a bit disappointed. We did a good qualifying bit it’s been tricky until now. We are in a vetter place than a year ago. In Q2 I think I did more or less the lap time that Max did in Q3, it was in the car but I think we lost a bit of rhythm in Q3 on used tyres.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) March 1, 2024
The #16 driver also said that he is “disappointed”, but at the same time feels that Ferrari is in a much better place.
Charles Leclerc looking to fight for bigger things
Charles Leclerc will start the Bahrain GP from P2 on the grid, and Carlos Sainz will start from P4. While Ferrari would have expected a bit more, they are still in a better place. Leclerc admits that the car feels good, and Sainz showed great promise throughout Friday.
A good night behind the wheel for our boys #BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/37I3xRyrQl
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 1, 2024
What remains to be seen is Ferrari’s race pace. Last year, the Maranello-based outfit did really well in qualifying in the latter stages of the season. But seldom could they turn that into a win. This year, they would want to avoid a repeat of that.
Verstappen finished more than two-tenths ahead of Leclerc. Despite the entire F1 field looking closer than ever with only 1.039 seconds covering the 20 drivers in Q1, the Dutchman remains the favorite to win the Grand Prix. Even Leclerc thinks that Verstappen and Red Bull are too far ahead to catch.
