#SpanishGP Qualifying: @CharlesLeclerc storms to pole as @Max33Verstappen hits trouble. #F1

Leclerc Spanish GP pole – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc stormed to pole position in qualifying at the Spanish GP ahead of title-rival Max Verstappen who encountered a power issue in his final Q3 run with team-mate Carlos Sainz taking third.

The Monegasque driver had the pressure all on him for his last flyer after spinning at the penultimate corner during his initial hot-lap, but then the championship leader bounced back with a vengeance.

A solid 1:18.750 was comfortably the fastest lap of the weekend as he claimed his 13th-career pole position by 0.323 seconds quicker than Red Bull’s Verstappen.

The reigning world champion who held provisional pole following his initial Q3 flying lap, was forced to abandon his final hot-lap after his RB18 racer encountered more reliability issues and slowed down at turn three.

Q2’s pace-setter Verstappen delivered a great run through sector three to gain a four tenth advantage on his initial flyer in the final qualifying segment to set a 1:19.073.

This put the Dutchman on top of the pile as he ran a brilliant 0.035 seconds ahead of provisional benchmarker Sainz, whilst Perez was third and in-front of the Mercedes duo.

Leclerc was the big name missing from the top of the time-sheets after throwing away his initial Q3 flying tour with a turn 14 spin despite posting the best session best mini-sectors over the course of the lap.

The rear axle of the F1-75 racer rotated into the left-hand part of the tight chicane, when, like at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Leclerc took too much kerb, locked all four tyres bringing the car to a halt.

Leclerc was given a fresh set of C3 red side-walled Pirelli softer compounds and emerged early for the final shootout, leaving his garage with three and a half minutes left on the clock.

But the Ferrari driver put together a great sector two and three to clinch pole.

After the power cut, Verstappen was eventually able to restart his RB18 racer, and his first was enough to complete the front-row in-front of Sainz, who ended up a tenth adrift with his 1:19.166 effort.

Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner also confirmed that a DRS issue added to Verstappen’s woes in qualifying.

Mercedes’ George Russell took fourth and nudged ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, whilst Sir Lewis Hamilton ran to sixth after his initial Q3 hot-lap was hurt by over-steer out of the last corner.

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN’s Valtteri Bottas ended up seventh and in-front of Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen, whilst McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo wound up ninth after the Woking based-outfit opted not to send him out for a last attempt.

The other Haas VF-22 entry of Mick Schumacher completed the top ten runners.

In Q2, which was topped by reigning world champion Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris missed out on progressing into Q3 after having his lap-time invalidated due to exceeding track limits at turn 12 and thus the Briton will start 11th on the grid.

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon qualified 12th and ahead of AlphaTauri duo Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly who were 13th and 14th respectively as Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu was the slowest of the Q2 runners in 15th.

In the first qualifying segment, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was the quickest of the Q1 eliminatees in 16th and in-front of BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso who will start his home Grand Prix a low 17th and team-mate Lance Stroll who was 18th.

Stroll is also currently investigation by the stewards for an unsafe release in the path of McLaren’s Norris in the pit-lane.

Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio De Espana 2022 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2022/races/1111/spain/qualifying.html

2022 Spanish GP Qualifying – The Top Three

2022 Spanish GP Pole Position – Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, F1-75, 1:18.750:

“I feel good! It was a very, very difficult session, especially Q3 as I did a mistake and then only had one lap. Very, very happy with pole, it was a good lap and the car was amazing. I am in a strong position but we have been struggling with tyres and if we don’t manage the tyres well, we will lose the win.”

2nd Place – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing-RBPT, RB18, +0.323:

“I mean it’s always difficult to tell but I couldn’t do my final run, but to be on the front row, looking at the whole weekend for us, it’s good but obviously I would have wanted to go for pole. It will be hot, this track will be tough to pass but our car should be kinder to its tyres.”

3rd Place – Carlos Sainz, #55, Scuderia Ferrari, F1-75, +0.416:

“It’s been a tough weekend so far, conditions with the heat, with the wind. We can fight from there tomorrow. See if we can get a good start and go from there. I think everything is possible tomorrow.”

In the earlier FP3 session, Championship leader Leclerc topped the time-sheets for Ferrari and in-front of title-rival Verstappen who was second, Mercedes pairing Russell and Hamilton who were third and fourth respectively and the other Ferrari F1-75 entry of Sainz who completed the top five. You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio De Espana 2022 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2022/races/1111/spain/practice-3.html

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