Charles Leclerc put up a great fight, something which we all yearned to see since the beginning of the season. The car was quick, and the driver was flawless as he did not cross track limits like Sergio Perez.
Carlos Sainz, his teammate, also put up a good fight as he finished third on the grid, just a couple of milliseconds away from the pole sitter. This increases the chances of Ferrari securing a double podium finish or even a race win if the stars align for the Monaco driver.
Charles Leclerc finishes second behind Max Verstappen in Austrian qualifying
Thankfully for Ferrari, the SF-23 modifications have reportedly made the car easier to drive and feel more like the car from the previous season, according to both the drivers, Charles and Sainz. Ferrari’s last victory came on July 10, 2022, in Austria. Charles Leclerc has given himself the best chance to attempt and break the winless streak while repeating history on this track once again.
The Red Bull Ring track has been kind to Charles, giving him three podium finishes from his last four visits, excluding the Styrian Grand Prix. However, it will be difficult because Red Bull is strong, and Ferrari does come up with unique ways to butcher their winning chances in races. He out-qualified Carlos Sainz and was just 0.048s away from dethroning Verstappen from his pole position.
For Leclerc, it has been a jolly good day at work. “I don’t think we expected it to be so close to Red Bull, so it’s a good step forward. First, I would like to thank all the guys back at the factory” Charles Leclerc told the media post-qualifying.
Leclerc won the Austrian GP in 2022, providing Ferrari it’s final GP win
Charles Leclerc is the last driver ever to secure a win for Ferrari, as they have been in a race-win drought for more than a year. Last year’s Austrian GP was extremely tricky and crucial as his teammate was out in flames, so Leclerc had to rise to the occasion and deliver.
He overtook Mad Max three times on the track in the race, but anyone would be scared as he had two engine failures in the prior five races. Fortunately, the win did not slip through his fingers even as he combated a throttle problem over the final few laps.
The million-dollar question for this race weekend is whether Ferrari can get back on their horses and secure a double podium finish with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz since Sergio Perez is clearly out of the picture. Stay tuned at SportsZion to find out.
