Charles Leclerc admitted it came as a surprise to make it through to the second segment of Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, the second consecutive race weekend he has done so.
The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team driver came into the weekend expecting to be towards the back of the field, but after a starring role in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Monegasque driver was at it again on Saturday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, qualifying fourteenth on the grid.
Leclerc feels positive about the progress Sauber is making with their C37-Ferrari this season, and he hopes to reward them with a positive result on Sunday, although he expects it to be tougher to score points than it was at the Baku Street Circuit two weeks ago.
“It was a positive day for us, having extracted a stronger performance here in Barcelona than we had expected,” said Leclerc. “We made some good steps forward during FP3.
“I did my best to put everything we have learned this weekend together, and completed a good lap during Q1. It feels amazing to have made it into Q2 for the second time in a row, especially considering that we did not arrive with high expectations on this type of track layout.
“I am very pleased about the progress we have made. Now we must focus on the race and make the most out of it tomorrow. Hopefully, we will take some positive results home.”
