Charles Leclerc admitted Max Verstappen put the lap together when it mattered during Qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, with the home hero denying the Monegasque driver pole position by just 0.021 seconds.
The Scuderia Ferrari driver had been fastest after the first runs during Q3 at the Circuit Zandvoort, but a scruffy middle sector on his second run proved crucial as Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen edged ahead of him.
Despite missing out on pole, Leclerc remains confident Ferrari have the pace on the long runs to come out on top, and he hopes to have another good battle with Verstappen on Sunday afternoon.
“As a driver, you always target pole but Max (Verstappen) just put it together today,” said Leclerc. “The car balance felt a step better compared to yesterday.
“Q1 and Q2 were a little tricky. We tried different things on the out laps and in the end the front was a bit stronger which was good because I could push more.
“I’m confident for tomorrow, though it’s a track on which it is rather difficult to overtake, so I hope it will be as close as today and that we can have a good battle with Max.”
“Overtaking may be a bit easier than last year” – Carlos Sainz Jr.
Team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. will start third, and he too was within a tenth of a second of Verstappen’s pole time.
The Spaniard says he expects it to also be close on race day, and he believes there could be more than just Ferrari and Red Bull involved, particularly with how close the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team have been this weekend.
Sainz says they will be doing everything they can to ensure Ferrari are the ones to come out on top on Sunday on a track that he thinks could offer a few more opportunities to overtake this year compared to twelve months ago.
“We knew we were up for a good battle and it proved to be one of the closest qualifyings of the year,” said Sainz. “Finishing P3 within less than a tenth from pole shows how small the margin was today.
“I expect a close race with even more cars in the mix, but I’m confident we can fight for the top places. Overtaking may be a bit easier than last year and strategy will play a big role.
“Tonight, together with the team, we will evaluate all the available options in order to maximize the result in the race.”
