The Monegasque driver, who is aiming for victory at the 2022 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, tried to keep his chances alive by getting a good result in qualifying at the Hungaroring, but was unable to take full advantage of his title rival’s problems , Max Verstappen, who finished tenth.
Charles Leclerc was only third, behind a surprising George Russell, who achieved the first pole position of his career, and his teammate, Carlos Sainz, and after getting out of the car, recognized that Pirelli tire management was what decided the balance.
“Today has not been a great day,” he said. “I’ve been having massive problems with the tyres, and I’ve had very little consistency in putting them in the correct operating window in these conditions.”
“It took me a long time to do a lap, but we will look into it. I’m sure we have the pace in the car to get back to the front tomorrow,” the Monegasque continued. “So we’ll focus on that, and hopefully we’ll have a better Sunday.”
The Prancing Horse ‘s pace in Friday’s long runs was impressive in the hotter conditions, and that has made Leclerc more optimistic about how things can turn out in the race, provided the team finds answers to what happened in the race. the classification.
“The speed is there, we just have to understand what happened to the tires today,” said the third-placed rider for the race at the Hungaroring. “I’m pretty sure we can come back tomorrow.”
The Monegasque’s Maranello team-mate Carlos Sainz , who was overtaken by George Russell just as the checkered flag fell, blamed several moments of oversteer for missing out on pole position, but shared Leclerc’s optimism.
“I think we have the rhythm,” said the Spaniard. “The start and tire management will play a key role, as always, although the speed of the Mercedes is unknown, so we will have to see how the race goes tomorrow, and if we can pass it at the start, the better, it will be exciting. “.
