F1 News: Charles Leclerc Surprised With Qualifying Results - 'It's A Good Day'

Alex Harrington | Jul 27, 2024

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari talk in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 27, 2024 in Spielberg, Austria. / Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

Charles Leclerc secured pole position for the Formula 1 race at Spa-Francorchamps, despite qualifying second fastest behind Max Verstappen. Due to a grid penalty assigned to the Red Bull driver, Leclerc will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the front, an advantage compounded by a surprising qualifying session influenced by challenging weather conditions.

Going into the weekend, expectations for the Monegasque were tempered. Reflecting on the unexpected turn of events, Leclerc shared his delight:

"It's good. I definitely did not expect that this weekend. Obviously, with the tricky conditions we could do something above our expectations. So it's a good day for the team so now we need to focus on tomorrow and see what will happen when the rain is gone."

This isn't the first time Leclerc has found himself in a similar situation at Spa; he experienced a comparable scenario in 2023. His performance and ultimate positioning this year, however, were notably bolstered by the rain which played to his advantage.

"Without this rain, probably P5 was the position we were fighting for with the Mercedes especially. But with the rain, it helped us a little bit," Leclerc admitted.

Looking forward to race day, starting from the front carries both its benefits and its pressures. The Ferrari driver acknowledged the complexity of maintaining his lead.

"It's good to be back on the front part of the grid. Now we've got to finalize that tomorrow. It's not the easiest first place to keep on the first lap here, but honestly, I will see. Every start is different, and then once I will be in the car tomorrow through Eau Rouge, I will see what the best thing is that I can do," he explained.