SAO PAULO ― Ferrari added another blunder to a season’s list of errors when they sent Charles Leclerc into a pole position shootout in Brazil with different tyres to everyone else.
The gamble on the weather backfired and the unhappy Monegasque qualified 10th for the Sao Paulo sprint race after red flags and rain at Interlagos left him with no lap time on the board from the final phase.
“Am I the only one on inters?” Leclerc asked over the team radio during his first lap out of the pits when he realised everyone else was on soft slick tyres rather than the slower damp track option.
“There’s no rain,” he added according to Reuters.
The Ferrari driver was then forced to pit again but Mercedes’ George Russell slid into the gravel and triggered red flags to halt the session.
The rain then came down more heavily, denying him the chance of a flying lap.
Leclerc, who is battling Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for second place in a championship already won by Max Verstappen, will start alongside the Mexican today in a 100km race that determines Sunday’s main grand prix grid.
Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, the first out of the pitlane in Q3, took his maiden pole position.
“I will speak to the team and understand what we can do better in those conditions,” Leclerc said.
Ferrari’s season has been hit hard by errors on all sides and reliability issues.
