Charles Leclerc's Heartache: Missed Top 3 in Austria with Ferrari's Improved Pace

Charles Leclerc's frustration was palpable as he reflected on what could have been a stellar qualifying session at the Austrian Grand Prix. Leclerc, who firmly believes that Ferrari had the speed to secure a top three position, attributed his P6 starting position to personal mistakes during his last Q3 run.

The weekend proved harsh for Ferrari at the Red Bull Ring as Leclerc finished seventh in the Sprint race, following his teammate Carlos Sainz who clinched fifth. The Italian team, struggling to maintain competitiveness, showed a glimmer of hope during grand prix qualifying. Leclerc had momentarily held third after the initial Q3 runs, only to falter in the closing stages.

Leclerc's optimistic start took a downturn as he veered wide across the gravel at Turn 5 and subsequently lost the rear of his car heading into the penultimate corner. Reflecting on his errors, Leclerc shared, “It’s frustrating, because whenever you know you have the potential to do well, and you do a mistake yourself, it always hurts.”

Leclerc harbored a realistic outlook despite the setbacks, acknowledging the critical nature of those errors. “P7 is not good, I think a P3 was possible today. Turn 1 and 3 was really, really good in my last lap,” he admitted. “I was two-tenths faster than my lap, and then I did a mistake in Turn 4, tried even more to catch back some time in Turn 6, lost it, tried the same in Turn 9, lost it. It’s life.”

Despite the lost opportunities, Leclerc retained a semblance of optimism. The improved balance from the setup changes on his car boosted his confidence for the main race.