From the front row
After Budapest qualifying Charles Leclerc was not the face of happiness, despite having second place in his pocket due to Lewis Hamilton’s penalty.
The Monegasque did not find the best feeling with his SF-26 and emphasized in all interviews how he failed to discover how to improve in Turns 1 and 12, where he loses almost two tenths to the best.
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But there’s a race to make amends, as he will start from the second grid slot, next to poleman Lando Norris.
Ferrari showed a decidedly competitive race pace on Friday, and therefore Leclerc could have a chance to perform well. However, there is already a hitch on his way, being forced to start with already used tires – he has run out of new Soft and Mediums – and therefore could stop in the pits before his opponents.
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Leclerc’s words before the start
Interviewed during the traditional track lap on the truck to greet the fans, Charles Leclerc commented: “Until last year I kept repeating that this was a difficult track for me. I’m putting in a lot of effort because driving on a track like this doesn’t come naturally to me, but for two years it’s been going well, so I’m content, but today is the important day and we will try to give our best.
We were very competitive over the weekend, but it’s also true that yesterday McLaren was very strong when it mattered. So I think today will be a tight race, I don’t think we’ll have a positional advantage or anything; the first lap will be very important on a track where it’s difficult to overtake, the start will be crucial and, from a confidence perspective, you have to feel pretty good. Yesterday I felt quite good, I was a bit behind Lewis, but during Friday’s race session I felt good, so I really hope this positive feeling continues today too”.
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