Leclerc on Miami qualifying crash: Really angry with myself

MIAMI – Charles Leclerc was angry at himself after failing to realise Ferrari’s full potential in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.

Leclerc, considered by many to be F1’s best qualifier, spun out at Turn 7 — the same corner where he hit the wall at the end of second practice on Friday.

Leclerc will start seventh, having not maximised his first lap at the beginning of Q3, while teammate Carlos Sainz set a lap which was good enough for third on the grid.

“I’m very disappointed in myself,” Leclerc said on Saturday evening. “Same mistake as yesterday in the same corner.

“I also know that qualifying is my strong point, and obviously I am taking more risks in Q3. That pays off nine times out of 10, but obviously this is a weekend where twice I put it in the wall, and this is just not the level that I want it to be.

“Again, I’m just very disappointed with myself. If I did a great lap in the first lap of Q3, but there’s no point to say that when you don’t finish a lap and you lock up in the last corner. And the second lap, I put it in the wall. So really angry with myself.”

Leclerc suggested he and the team have focused more on setting the car up for Sunday’s race.

“I am taking a lot of risks in Q3 to try and do something special, because I know we are behind Red Bull at the moment. But also I think what is taking the upper hand this weekend is that I have a very aggressive setup. I know it, I think it will pay off in the race for us. In qualifying, it was just too much.”

Although he was still visibly annoyed when he spoke to the media, Leclerc said he will not carry any lingering frustration into the grand prix.

“I’m very hard with myself. But I also know what are my strong points and what it gives me on the other side, taking this much risk. But it’s just very disappointing. Then looking forward to tomorrow, I’m pretty sure I’ll recover and reset. On that, I’m not worried.”