Scuderia Ferrari found success in the wet conditions of Silverstone Circuit during qualifying for the British Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz earning his first-ever pole position and Charles Leclerc slotting into third place.
Ferrari Team Principal and Managing Director Mattia Binotto was pleased with the result, and felt that Sainz was particularly deserving of the top spot after the challenging session– further solidifying Sainz’s abilities after coming within a second of the win last time out at the Canadian Grand Prix.
“It’s very satisfying to come away with pole position and third place in the difficult conditions we faced in today’s qualifying. It was a day where what mattered most was to stay focussed and Carlos certainly succeeded in that. So, he fully deserves this result.
“Securing his first pole position at such a demanding track and in these extreme conditions is the best possible confirmation of how Carlos’ confidence in the car has grown over recent races, especially after Canada.”
In the tight battle for pole position, Ferrari implemented a strategy in which both cars were lapping continuously throughout Q3 to ensure they were able to capitalize on any improvement of track conditions. Sainz’s final lap saw him take provisional pole, while team-mate Leclerc suffered a spin that hindered him from improving from third. Max Verstappen lost his shot at pole due to the yellow flag caused by Leclerc’s spin, further securing Sainz’s pole position by the session’s end.
Binotto said that the team is in a solid position to succeed during the race, though it will be a tough one with “many variables” that need to be considered.
“Now we turn our attention to the race, the most important part of the weekend. Charles also had a good qualifying and he can move forward from his start position. However, it’s going to be a hard race tomorrow with many variables coming into play. We will now work on preparing to convert this pole into the best possible result tomorrow.”
