The Monegasque beat Pérez and Hamilton by only 55 thousandths, while the World Cup leader was unable to complete his last attempt due to a refueling problem.
In a very narrow margin, with three pilots in five hundredths, charles leclerc fastened his ninth pole of the year, a record that allows him to equal, 22 years later, a record of Michael Schumacher with Ferraris. The Monegasque, for the ninth time in this World Cup, will start at the front of the grid in Singapore (1:49.412). I’ll do it ahead of sergio prez Y Lewis Hamiltonwhile Max Verstappen must settle for eighth position, aborting his last attempt due to what appeared to be a refueling problem.
The possibility of the Red Bull leader being champion in Marina Bay is even further away, since he needs a victory accompanied by Leclerc’s ninth place or worse and Pérez’s fourth or worse. And urgent explanations from his team, who didn’t pump enough fuel into his RB18 to pass the final scrutiny of the FIA. It will sting even more when he checks on his telemetry that he was rolling 2.5 seconds faster than on his penultimate attempt.
By contrast, Leclerc repeated pole through these intricate streets, even despite his last mistake, translated into a loud wail over the radio. In spite of everything, he led Checo by 22 thousandths and Hamilton by 54. His was once again the leadership at Ferrari, where Carlos Sainz He finished fourth and apologized to his mechanics. For its part, Fernando Alonso confirmed his great moment with a fifth place, backed by his magnificent sensations behind the wheel.
“It can be all or nothing”
There were no physical or material misfortunes in a session full of alternatives and marked by the humidity of the track. “Tomorrow it could be all or nothing, many safey-cars or a lot of boredom”, said Sainz. In the face of the man from Madrid a certain disappointment was perceived. Not because he had shot only 15 hundredths of Leclerc, but because of the ingenuity of having crossed the finish line first on the night where passing last gave a notorious advantage .
The use of the red tyres, Pirelli’s fastest, was only essential in Q3. But discerning the ideal compound, after the adhesion problems of Kevin Magnussen and Leclerc at turn 8, was always key. A couple of hours earlier, during the last practice sessions, the stewards had closed the pit lane because of the water, while yellow flags waved in all sectors so that it could be evacuated.
Disappointment for Ocon and Ricciardo
For anyone who was paralyzed by doubt, the punishment was lethal. Stephen Ocon, eighteenth in Q1, left Alpine clearly inferior. Although the French team was also favored by the problems of Daniel Ricciardoseventeenth, determined to leave McLaren without margin for that fight for fourth place in the Constructors’ World Cup.
In Q2, the first to test the slicks were Lance Stroll Y Sebastian Vettel, faced with the difficulties of the second sector, resurfaced in recent weeks and with more difficulties to dry. “We put them on too soon,” the four-time champion would later lament, never finding a competitive rhythm. Either George Russell, knocked out by only six thousandths, much to the disappointment of the Mercedes garage. The British gap was filled by yuki tsunoda and Magnussen.
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