Leclerc clueless over 'strange' Q2 qualifying exit

©Ferrari

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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was left scratching his head over the reasons for the complete lack of grid 'from all four tyres' that left him a lowly P13 in qualifying in Qatar on Saturday.

Leclerc never came close to making the Q3 cut and ended the second session of qualifying over three tenths off the time of Scuderia teammate Carlos Sainz.

The unexpected shortfall wasn't for a lack of trying however as the Monegasque radioed in to tell his team that he was "quite on the limit" as he tried his best to improve his pace but had "no idea" why he was so short on grip.

"Normally I'm quite good at understanding what's wrong, in a qualifying lap especially, which is one of my strengths," Leclerc said.

"But this one is a very strange one. I just had no grip from all four tyres. It's not like I had a balance issue or anything like that. I was just struggling with all four tyres with grip.

"So we need to look into it whether there was anything strange or not. If there's not anything strange, then I will be very happy to understand what I did wrong. Let's see."

©Ferrari

Leclerc was particularly puzzled by the fact that the grip issue showed up unexpectedly – especially in the first sector – without any forerunning signs in FP3.

"I have no idea why," he said. "The tyres just felt at their limits. I don't know if I wasn't putting the car, the tyres in the right window before the lap.

2021 Qatar GP - Qualifying results

"I have no idea for now, but we need to find an explanation.

"I think I'm pretty sure there's something that went wrong this qualifying - well obviously, I'm a second off on the first run of Q2 - but something standing out and something quite big, because I just cannot explain it."

Despite the disappointment and confusion, the Ferrari driver is hoping to rely on the only silver lining he could find to improve his fortunes on race day.
"I think anything is possible," conclude Leclerc. "We will have a free choice of tyres, so hopefully we can take advantage of it."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.