Tag: Charles Leclerc

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc signs contract extension

The Monegasque driver will be linked to the Prancing Horse for “several more years” according to reports.

Scuderia Ferrari have locked up their star driver.

Monegasque driver [autotag]Charles Leclerc[/autotag] revealed on Thursday that he signed a contract extension with Scuderia Ferrari. While the exact duration of that contract is unknown, Leclerc specifically mentioned that he was linking himself to the team for “several more seasons.”

Leclerc first linked with Ferrari in 2016, when he joined up with the Ferrari Driver’s Academy. He served as a test driver for both Haas and Sauber before signing on with the latter in 2018. He impressed in that one stint, outqualifying his teammate Marcus Ericsson 17 times in 21 races. He would later move to Ferrari the following year, and it’s where he’s been ever since.

Leclerc has had a successful, if not tumultuous, experience racing for Ferrari. He’s scored 1,035 points for the team and has won five races, and he’s notorious for his qualifying prowess — he’s put his car on pole 23 times throughout his career.

However, his tenure has come with some downs alongside the ups, as he’s suffered from a combination of Ferrari incompetence and occasionally from his own in certain high-pressure situations. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has won more races from Charles Leclerc pole positions than Charles Leclerc has, and be it his doing or his team’s doing, speculations about his future have persisted in recent years.

Nonetheless, Leclerc is sticking with Ferrari. He’s set to race alongside teammate Carlos Sainz once again in 2024, whose own contract situation and up-and-down performance will make for another decision from both sides looming in the coming months.

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Leclerc extends Ferrari contract beyond 2024

Charles Leclerc will remain with Ferrari beyond the end of this season after signing a contract extension. The Monegasque driver’s previous deal had just entered its final year, but he has committed his future to Ferrari having come through the …

Charles Leclerc will remain with Ferrari beyond the end of this season after signing a contract extension.

The Monegasque driver’s previous deal had just entered its final year, but he has committed his future to Ferrari having come through the Ferrari Driver Academy and made his debut for the team in 2019 after just one season in Formula 1 with Sauber. No length was given by either side when it comes to the extension, but Leclerc suggests it’s a multi-year deal.

“I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come,” Leclerc said. “To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Ste Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars.

“This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race.

“My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.”

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Leclerc has won five races for Ferrari and taken pole position on 23 occasions, and team principal Fred Vasseur says there is a desire to provide the 26-year-old with better machinery to add to his victory tally.

“Charles’ bond to the Scuderia goes beyond that of just a driver and a team, as he has been part of the Ferrari family for eight years now, dating back to a time before he first sported the Prancing Horse emblem on his race suit,” Vasseur said. “His values and those of our team are intertwined and so it was natural for us to be in agreement on extending our collaboration.

“We know him for his incessant desire to push himself to the limit and we appreciate his extraordinary abilities when it comes to fighting and overtaking in a race. We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.”

Leclerc’s deal means there are now six drivers with contracts beyond the end of this season as he joins Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Vasseur expects driver decision soon despite missing targets

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admits he has missed targets when it comes to finalizing the Formula 1 futures of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz but expects to do so soon. Both Leclerc and Sainz are out of contract at the end of next season, …

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admits he has missed targets when it comes to finalizing the Formula 1 futures of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz but expects to do so soon.

Both Leclerc and Sainz are out of contract at the end of next season, as two of the biggest names among 75% of the grid that have deals expiring in a year’s time. Vasseur had wanted to make a decision on the Ferrari drivers’ respective futures by the end of 2023 but he says there is no cause for concern that the timeline has been pushed back beyond the New Year.

“As you know, they are under contract with us until the end of 2024 — it means that we still have 13 months in front of us,” Vasseur said. “It’s quite comfortable and if you have a look, Mercedes renewed the contract by the end of August and that meant that we still have a lot of weeks and months in front of us.

“But I told you, I think one year ago, that we will try to take a decision by the end of the year. I have to admit the last part of the season was a big chaos for everybody and I think it was very demanding and we had meetings and started the discussion, but we are late compared to the initial plan.

“It’s not an issue at all — we are much in advance compared to Mercedes and we are easy on this that we will take the decision soon.”

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Given a run of five races in six weeks that ended the season, Vasseur says the intense nature of the calendar played a part in driver performances over the course of the year. Expecting similar in 2024, the Frenchman explains he is wary of asking too much of Leclerc and Sainz during the off-season when they need to recharge.

“They had a lot of involvement into the development of the car from the beginning. And they are quite pleased with the situation,” Vasseur said. “Now it’s not at all a clear indication of what we will do next year but it’s important to have them on board from the beginning.

“I think they were both quite exhausted after the season; it was a long one for everybody but it’s also a long one for them. After Abu Dhabi they had the test and then we had a demo in Saudi, so it was a never-ending story. They came back the week after and they were in the simulator. They will have a break for the next two or three weeks and be back on the 9th or 10th of January.

“It’s good also for them to manage their time and it will be even worse or more difficult next year. With more races — starting a bit earlier, finishing a bit later — I think during the season every single driver was a bit up and down. We have to anticipate this and to do a good job on this because I think it will be part of the performance, and I think they completely deserve the Christmas break.”

Launching F1 Silly Season… toward 2025

It says a lot about the driver market this year that the most interesting aspect of it was the movement between performance coaches and those that support the drivers themselves. Max Verstappen’s trainer Bradley Scanes left his role, leading Carlos …

It says a lot about the driver market this year that the most interesting aspect of it was the movement between performance coaches and those that support the drivers themselves.

Max Verstappen’s trainer Bradley Scanes left his role, leading Carlos Sainz’s performance coach Rupert Manwaring to make the switch to work with the three-time world champion. And Yuki Tsunoda is also in need of a new partner after Michael Italiano departed for a major opportunity in cricket.

Once Logan Sargeant was finally confirmed at Williams for a second consecutive year, the least active driver market in history was complete as not a single seat changed between the end of the 2023 season and the start of 2024.

And it’s not like there was huge movement mid-year, either, with only Daniel Ricciardo’s return to AlphaTauri in place of Nyck de Vries preventing identical lineups from race one of the season just gone to the next.

But you’ve probably heard the saying “The calm before the storm” and that’s just where the driver market is right now.

The end of 2024 offers a huge amount of possibilities, and many of them are playing a role in keeping other opportunities open.

Even with some high-profile contract extensions being announced over the past 12 months, three quarters of the grid have deals that expire at the end of the coming season.

The easiest way of kicking this off is by outlining who are the drivers who are currently under contract for more than the next year (even if there might be options involved that could negate that if needed).

Unsurprisingly, Max Verstappen has the longest deal at Red Bull that runs until 2028, while it’s Oscar Piastri who is most secure behind him with a deal that was announced as up to the end of 2026.

Then for the remaining three drivers — Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris and the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell — 2025 is the end point of their current agreements, leaving them with the potential ability to make a move in time for the new regulations that will be introduced the following year.

So the most sought-after name that could be available at the end of 2024 is Charles Leclerc, as both Ferrari drivers have yet to agree to new deals.

Team principal Fred Vasseur had stated that he wanted to have the two drivers’ respective futures tied up prior to the end of the year in order to have clarity heading into ’24, but that’s a target that he admits has been missed, with the revised goal of the start of the new season being set.

And it’s not strange to see why. Given the fact that so many drivers are available at the end of next year — but also three big names currently hitting the market at the end of the following season — there are options not just for the Ferrari drivers but for the team too. Vasseur needs to keep the situation positive at Maranello, but it would be remiss of him to ignore the potential candidates that might be available over the coming years.

That then plays a part in the type of contract that will be discussed. It’s not hard to imagine Ferrari wants to lock Leclerc down longer-term given the way he was brought through the ranks, but Sainz might find himself offered a deal that includes an option at the end of 2025 in case of significant movement.

Spin that around to the drivers’ perspective, and Sainz is likely to want a more solid commitment — but both he and Leclerc are also going to have an eye on the 2026 regulations.

F1 stars have to make career moves based on current form and trends…which can be risky heading into a new rules cycle. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

It’s always so tough to judge which teams will get it right when there is a major change in both aerodynamics and power unit technology, and the decision to prevent teams doing work on the new cars years in advance only shortens the window to gain such an impression. So having a contract that expires one year after the new regulations are introduced — and therefore a full competitive picture will have been seen — might be the smartest play.

That’s true of all the drivers, of course, rather than just the Ferrari pair, but with so many available at the end of next year there’s likely to be one or two who are more willing to commit longer-term if offered the chance, or take a shorter deal if it secures them a more competitive seat than they currently have.

The way this year played out, there were few contracts that needed resolving and therefore few potential moves that could happen. That leant itself to drivers and teams sticking with what they had, because the alternative options were few and far between.

That’s not the case in 12 months’ time and even those with longer deals are aware of it, with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believing Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari will all be assessing options, including showing an interest in Norris.

“I would say next priority — a lot of priorities — but certainly Lando we’ve got some time with; but he is a driver that everybody up and down pit lane want,” Brown says. “How much longer is Lewis going? What’s Mercedes going to do? How much longer is Sergio [Perez] going? So for sure, I think the three other big teams probably don’t have visibility as to their driver lineup beyond ’25, and I think with how Lando has performed, he would be top of everyone’s list.”

While Norris is certainly going to be a target for many teams unless he signs a new deal, the number of others available means teams will be working on a Plan A through to Plan F at least.

There’s definitely a lot of scope for the majority of drivers to stay exactly where they are at the end of next season, too, but until somebody gets the ball rolling and either cements their current position or commits to a move elsewhere, teams are unlikely to want to fully commit and take themselves out of the picture.

And it might be 2025 when most seats become available, but as Brown adds, teams are going to want to get their business done “sooner rather than later” given the permutations: “I think the market is already going!”

Leclerc explains reason for letting Perez pass in P2 fight

Charles Leclerc says he was keen to give Sergio Perez DRS to try and pull five seconds clear of George Russell at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to snatch second place in the constructors’ championship for Ferrari. Perez was given a five-second …

Charles Leclerc says he was keen to give Sergio Perez DRS to try and pull five seconds clear of George Russell at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to snatch second place in the constructors’ championship for Ferrari.

Perez was given a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Lando Norris, that meant when he overtook Russell in the closing stages he needed to extend the gap quickly to be classified ahead of the Mercedes and take points away that would have moved Ferrari up a position in the standings. Knowing this, Leclerc tried to help Perez’s cause but in the end Russell was classified 1.1s ahead of the Red Bull to defend the position.

“Of course very disappointed with that third place in the constructors’ as that was my only target since two or three races ago,” Leclerc said. “It was until the very fast lap — I tried to give Checo the DRS for him to try and pull five seconds away from George but that didn’t quite work out.

“Quite a few laps before — as soon as I was aware of the five-second penalty, basically — then I was constantly asking for the gap between George and Checo. They told me that Checo had passed George, so I knew that Checo was behind me and his best chance was obviously to get the DRS from me and try to pull away as much as possible from George.

“There was quite a bit of discussion between my engineer and myself and I let him know as well that this was my plan, but it didn’t work out.”

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While Leclerc felt Ferrari was more competitive than he expected during the race, he says his early battles with Max Verstappen were never likely to result in him being able to fight for victory.

While “nice” Leclerc’s early battle with Verstappen didn’t amount to much in the end. Simon Galloway/Motorsport Images

“Yeah it was nice. On the other hand I obviously had the constructors’ championship in my mind so I couldn’t take too many risks, but I saw an opportunity,” he said. “I saw that Max was looking in his mirrors — or I was expecting him to look in the mirrors — so I made him think that I was going to the right then I went to the left.

“Then I tried also in Turn 9 but I knew that it was important for me to take care of those tires and even in the first lap, everything is so sensitive here that if you push too much then this can have a huge consequence on the rest of your run.

“So at one point I just decided to settle for the second place. Anyway, if we had got that first place I don’t think we would have kept that for long.”

Leclerc leads disrupted second Abu Dhabi GP practice

Charles Leclerc topped a severely interrupted second practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after two crashes in quick succession truncated running by more than half an hour. The 60-minute session was suspended after just eight minutes when …

Charles Leclerc topped a severely interrupted second practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after two crashes in quick succession truncated running by more than half an hour.

The 60-minute session was suspended after just eight minutes when Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, lost control of his car at Turn 3 and slammed into the inside barrier. The Ferrari appeared to bottom out over a bump through the long right-hander — several drivers complained of bottoming through that section of track during FP1 — when it snapped from beneath him.

The Spaniard said dirty air from a car ahead prevented him from saving the spin, which sent him careening out of control into the wall in a plume of tire smoke, where the SF-23 sustained serious damage.

The Tecpro barriers were also worse for wear, and their repair wiped approximately 26 minutes off the clock. But the session had resumed for barely a minute when Nico Hulkenberg brought out the red flags a second time when he smashed his Haas car exiting the first turn.

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Hulkenberg mounted the wide, flat curb exiting Turn 1 when his car spun suddenly and rear-ended the concrete wall on the inside of the circuit, bringing his session to an immediately close.

It took a further six minutes to get running back underway — bringing the total time under red flag to around 33 minutes — at which point there was only 16 minutes left in the session.

It was a frenetic quarter-hour of running, not only for the lost time in this session but also because 10 drivers had given up their cars to rookie and inexperienced drivers in the earlier first practice session, leaving half the grid down on track time.

Verstappen, who was one of those to skip FP1, was among the most eager to make the most of what was left of the only representative twilight practice session of the weekend, barging past George Russell at the end of the pit lane as the track re-opened and then bizarrely attempting to pass around Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes outside through the narrow tunnel connecting the pits with the circuit, almost causing a collision.

A condensed program on the medium and soft tires was good enough to put him only third in the order, 0.173s adrift of session leader Leclerc. The Dutchman complained that his car was bouncing “like a kangaroo” in the final sector, though by the end of the shortened session he was fastest through the final split.

Between him and leader Leclerc slotted McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was a close match for the leading Ferrari at just 0.043s off the pace.

Valtteri Bottas claimed fourth for the second consecutive session, pipping Sergio Perez, who had several late laps on the soft tire blocked by traffic.

Russell finished sixth ahead of Zhou Guanyu and Hamilton, while Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri completed the top 10.

Fernando Alonso, who also made a move through the pit lane tunnel, his pass on one of the AlphaTauri drivers, finishes 11th ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda.

Alex Albon resumed control of his Williams to finish sixth ahead of Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant, with the crashed-out Sainz and Hulkenberg completing the order in 19th and 20th.

Leclerc has mixed feelings in Vegas as winless streak continues

Charles Leclerc says his second place in the Las Vegas Grand Prix was bittersweet after overtaking Sergio Perez on the final lap but failing to win from pole position again. The Ferrari driver has taken pole on five occasions so far this year, …

Charles Leclerc says his second place in the Las Vegas Grand Prix was bittersweet after overtaking Sergio Perez on the final lap but failing to win from pole position again.

The Ferrari driver has taken pole on five occasions so far this year, bringing his career tally up to 23. However, his last victory came in the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix and he saw his latest chance hurt by a safety car in Las Vegas that left him in a scrap with both Red Bull drivers, beating Perez to second with a strong move at the end of the Strip on the final lap.

“Mixed emotions,” Leclerc said. “On one hand, I’m extremely happy with the performance. I think we didn’t leave anything on the table and, until the very last lap — the last corner of the last lap — I gave it all and managed to get that second place.

“On the other hand, obviously disappointed because I really believe that without the safety car, the win was ours, because we had a really good first stint on the medium [tire] and we had five-lap-newer [hard tires] than Max [Verstappen]. I had a good four, five laps in order to bring them into temperature and we had done a really good job on that, so I was really confident that the win was ours.

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“Then there was unfortunately the safety car. Max and Checo stopped and I stayed on my five-lap used hards, which is not too much, five laps. But the problem is that then when you cool them down during the safety car, to restart a used tire is incredibly difficult with those temperatures. There we lost the race. On the other hand, I think the last part of the race was extremely fun, and that gave me a lot of adrenaline inside the car and I really enjoyed it.”

Leclerc believes the battle with the two Red Bull drivers was important for Formula 1 to showcase the potential of the Las Vegas circuit as a racing venue, following criticism earlier in the weekend and the lost practice time with track issues on Thursday night.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I think we needed it. Of course the weekend didn’t start the way it had to start, but I’m so happy that it ended that way. It’s such an incredible sport, and I think there was no better race for a first race in Vegas. The energy around the city is incredible. And yeah, just really happy…. I mean, at least, I really enjoyed [the race].”

Ferrari pair hope to ‘really show what F1 is’ in Las Vegas

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both feel Formula 1 needs to get the balance right between the spectacle and sporting event at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, ahead of Sunday’s race. The two Ferrari drivers finishing first and second in a spectacular …

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both feel Formula 1 needs to get the balance right between the spectacle and sporting event at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, ahead of Sunday’s race.

The two Ferrari drivers finishing first and second in a spectacular qualifying session that came 24 hours after delayed opening practice sessions, with the cause of the delay — a loose water valve cover — leading to Sainz picking up a grid penalty due to the damage he sustained hitting it. With fans also only able to watch eight minutes of track action on the opening day before being forced to leave by local labor laws relating to security workers, the race has been recovering from a tough start as it gets set for the main event on Saturday night.

“I was sad [after FP1] to see how much criticism there was around the track,” Leclerc said. “Of course, it wasn’t good enough and that is clear to everybody, but obviously we must not forget also how much work there has been for many, many people in order to make this event work, and I think it looks amazing.

“I really hope we have an exciting race, in order to really show what Formula 1 is and [Thursday] was obviously a pretty bad start. I think it’s an amazing venue for Formula 1. As I said, we are a sport for sure and we need to keep the DNA of the sport which is the most important thing for everybody.

“At the same time, I believe that opportunities like this need to be taken and a little bit of show around the track to attract people that maybe wouldn’t have come to a Formula 1 race is needed. You always need to find the right balance between show and sports and that’s why I’m not so happy about the show just before the race because I think this is a time where we need to focus on what really matters, which is racing.

“On the other hand, I think the venue and the event looks amazing and there’s been a lot of hard work in order to get there, which has to be appreciated. And then at the end of the weekend, we’ll obviously look back at all the things that didn’t go well in order for these things to not happen because it is clear that it’s not acceptable what happened in FP1.”

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While Leclerc is concerned by a major production the drivers will be part of in the buildup to lights out, Sainz is still hurt by being demoted to 12th after a power unit component change, but he says F1 getting the sporting aspect right doesn’t have to come with any reduction of hype in Vegas.

“I think we need to learn to separate things,” Sainz said. “I think there is the sport and there’s the show, and I think you can have both in a good combination and harmony, with the opening ceremony with all the show around the grand prix, in all the hotels, all the VIP access. I see the race as a very good opportunity for F1, and I think it’s a good thing that F1 is coming to Vegas and I’m enjoying the experience of coming to Vegas to do a Formula 1 race here.

“Then there’s the sport, and I feel like [as] a sport we cannot fail, knowing these important events. I felt like we started on [a] very bad foot and I think it was a very good opportunity to make a statement as a sport and to open Vegas with a very good image and with a very good attraction to everyone. In my opinion… I have people that have never come to a race that are still asking me why I’m getting a penalty for what happened and they’ve never been to an F1 race.

“And people… very influential people, people that are important but also all the fans that couldn’t attend yesterday, honestly I think separating the two things… I’m all for the show, all for growing the sport, but the sport has to be there. I feel like [on Thursday] we didn’t start on the right foot. I paid the price, by far the most of it.

“I hope that we have an exciting race [and] that F1 shows the whole world what we’re made of, what kind of racing we can produce, what kind of spectacle and what kind of sport we are. If this goes well, hopefully FP1 will be forgotten. My penalty, not, but FP1 will be forgotten and we will enjoy a good weekend and I think overall it will be a positive weekend for F1.”

Leclerc confident of finally converting pole to win in Las Vegas

Charles Leclerc’s confident he can convert pole position into a first win of the season at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after being quick throughout every session. The Ferrari driver led the way in FP2 before quick times on medium tires in final …

Charles Leclerc’s confident he can convert pole position into a first win of the season at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after being quick throughout every session.

The Ferrari driver led the way in FP2 before quick times on medium tires in final practice, although not using softs left him far down the final classification. Leclerc was soon topping the times throughout qualifying and secured pole as part of a Ferrari one-two, although he was disappointed in his own performance in Q3.

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“To be honest, I felt confident from the first lap in FP1,” Leclerc said. “The car has been great. Having said that, we’re always very strong in qualifying but then we obviously know that our weaknesses are in the race, and this is still to be seen tomorrow. The car has felt great overall until now, so I really hope we can have a good race tomorrow.

“I’m not happy with Q3, but at the same time, you can only be happy when you are on pole. I think in Q2, it was probably the best laps I’ve done in a while. Both of them were really, really good. Then in Q3, I didn’t put things together, and I was always losing a tenth here and there. But at the end, I managed to do more or less the same lap time as Q2. But I think there was quite a bit of track improvement, so I should have gone faster.

“The car had felt great again. But it’s the way it is. It’s always tricky on street tracks, but I enjoy these qualifying sessions. How can you not enjoy when it’s going all well like this and the car was going good again. So it was a good session for us.”

Although Carlos Sainz was second in qualifying, he’ll start from 12th due to a grid penalty for a power unit component change, moving Max Verstappen up to the front row. Leclerc admits the world champion remains the favorite in race trim but feels he has his best chance to turn his third pole position of the last four races into a victory.

“Well the confidence is high because we are starting first. It’s the best position to start from. On the other hand, we know that Red Bull is going to be very strong and Max obviously is going to be very strong on race pace. But I feel like we’ve had positive signs this weekend on the high fuel, more than other races. I hope we can convert that pole position into a win.”

Leclerc beats penalized Sainz to Vegas pole

Charles Leclerc pipped Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz to pole position at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, but a 10-place grid drop for the second-placed Spaniard will promote Max Verstappen to the front row. Ferrari has been in fabulous form in …

Charles Leclerc pipped Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz to pole position at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, but a 10-place grid drop for the second-placed Spaniard will promote Max Verstappen to the front row.

Ferrari has been in fabulous form in Las Vegas, with only a red-flagged FP3 preventing the team from sweeping every session of the weekend.

Leclerc, the more potent of the two, topped all three qualifying segments. Sainz followed him closely in Q3, but the 0.44s advantage was indicative of the slender but decisive advantage the Monegasque held around the brand-new Las Vegas Strip Circuit, ensuring he captured his 23rd pole position.

“The first in Las Vegas – obviously it’s an incredible event, and to be starting from pole tomorrow is great,” he said. “Nor full focus on tomorrow to try to put everything together in the race.”

He won’t have the support of Sainz in that fight, however, with his teammate paying the price for striking a loose water valve cover during first practice on Thursday evening that destroyed his chassis and parts of his power unit.

Sainz’s car required a new battery beyond his season’s allocation, and despite the bizarre nature of the incident, the stewards said there was no facility in the rules to allow it to slide, forcing him into a 10-place penalty that will see him start 12th.

Despite the strong qualifying result, Sainz said he was still fuming over the situation.

“Obviously I’m still disappointed about yesterday, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I’m still in a bad mood. I’m trying not to show it too much.”

He said he was optimistic for a fightback in the race but tempered expectations for a podium.

“It depends obviously on how the start goes and how the graining on the tires is and how easy it is to overtake … but I think it’s going to be tricky.”

Red Bull’s soft touch with the tires meant it hasn’t had its usual edge in the cool and slick conditions, but Verstappen said he was optimistic the race would still come to the RB19 to give him a chance at victory from a promoted second on the grid.

“I think we maximised today,” he said. “I think really the whole weekend so far we’ve been lacking a little bit of one-lap performance.

“I hope of course tomorrow in the race we’re good on the tires again and we can work our way forward.”

George Russell and Pierre Gasly qualified fourth and fifth but will share the second row after penalties.

That in turn promotes Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant to the third row for Williams’s first double top-10 start since the Dutch Grand Prix.

It was the best qualifying result of American rookie Logan Sargeant’s career, easily bettering his 10th place in Zandvoort.

Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen will line up seventh and eighth on the grid ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, the Briton promoted from his surprise 11th-place Q2 knockout into the top 10 by Sainz’s penalty.

Sergio Perez is stuck in 12th, with he and Red Bull appeared to make a major tactical blunder by boxing with three minutes remaining in Q2 and only 0.4s to the knockout zone from his then position in sixth place.

Perez, who can secure second in the drivers championship this weekend so long as Hamilton doesn’t outscore him by eight points or more, watched helplessly as he slid five places down the order to 12th.

Nico Hulkenberg was knocked out 13th ahead of Lance Stroll, but the Canadian will start no higher than 18th after copping a five-place grid penalty for passing under double waved yellows at the end of third practice. He is also under a post-session investigation for failing to slow under single yellows during Q1.

Daniel Ricciardo qualified 15th but will rise to 14th after penalties, having beat former teammate Lando Norris for a spot in Q2.

Norris led McLaren’s shock disappointment with 16th in Q1, missing out on progression by just 0.02s. It was the second time the Briton has been knocked out in Q1 in the last three grands prix, having also missed out on the top 15 in Mexico City.

Teammate Oscar Piastri fared worse, knocked out in 19th to form McLaren’s first double Q1 elimination since the Miami Grand Prix in May.

Piastri said the car was quicker than it looked, putting the poor performance down to neither he nor Norris using a second set of soft tires despite the risk of elimination.

Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu slotted between the papaya teammates, claiming 17th and 18th, but the former was fuming after a multicar tangle at the end of the Sprint at the end of his final preparation lap.

Both he and Verstappen subsequently tripped over one another into the first turn. The Dutchman attempted to dive down the Frenchman’s inside but ended up off the track, momentarily holding up Ocon, who missed Q2 by 0.151s.

Yuki Tsunoda qualified last after failing to set a representative lap, spoiling his final tour by running off the road at Turn 5, the furious Japanese driver ejected his headrest out of the garage after returning to pit lane.