Charles Leclerc found himself in a maddening situation during the final moments of Sprint qualifying at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
The drama unfolded when Leclerc’s Ferrari found itself in an unexpected predicament. The majority of the session’s final part involved drivers waiting in the pit lane, readying for their decisive laps. Yet, as Leclerc’s turn approached, his car shifted into anti-stall mode, right when he was departing the pit lane, necessitating an engine restart. This hiccup couldn’t have come at a worse time—leaving him scrambling to make it across the start/finish line before the session concluded.
Leclerc’s frustration was palpable. Metres shy of the line as the chequered flag waved, he vented his feelings by striking his steering wheel. “What the hell happened, guys?” he questioned over the team radio, only to be met with the brief explanation that they engaged the anti-stall. His incredulity was clear as he responded, noting the engine had completely shut off.
Directly after exiting his vehicle, Leclerc conveyed his confusion and irritation, admitting he hadn’t yet dissected the incident with his team. “I don’t know what happened, I got the anti-stall and then everything switched off,” he remarked to the media. Asked about the potential of his session, he expressed that while not exceptionally strong, they were certainly capable of better than a P10 finish. This disappointment, however, was coupled with hope for a better performance in the upcoming sprint race.
Meanwhile, his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, managed a fifth-place qualification, positioning himself more favorably for the sprint. In stark contrast, Max Verstappen set the pace and secured the pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix’s sprint race. For Leclerc, this incident marked a significant setback, yet he anticipated a detailed discussion with his team back at the garage.
As the dust settled on a frustrating qualifying session, Charles Leclerc’s focus swiftly shifted toward the forthcoming sprint race. With the hope of regaining ground, discussions with his team would be crucial in pinpointing the issue that marred his session, allowing him to focus on a strong comeback strategy.
