Charles Leclerc takes 'full responsibility' for Ferrari 'plan B' gamble

Charles Leclerc insists he takes "full responsibility" for gamble over Ferrari's qualifying strategy at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Monegasque will start seventh on the Barcelona grid after only completing a single run in Q3 on the soft tyres, whereas those drivers ahead of him all completed the usual two runs. 

Leclerc's thinking was to save more tyres for the grand prix itself, with a two-stop race expected on the medium and soft tyres, with the hard C1 rubber proving not to be suitable. 

Reflecting after being out-qualified by Lewis Hamilton, in fifth, for just the second time this season, Leclerc took immediate responsibility. 

"I think that it is always easier with two sets in Q3, and how much time I would have found, I don't know," Leclerc told media, including RacingNews365. 

"But I take full responsibility for the way qualifying has gone, it was my choice.

"In Q3, it was my choice to go in the middle when the team was pushing me to go at the end, I still wanted to have a plan B in case that one lap was going to plan with a mistake, and I wanted to have the chance for a second lap.

"So that is on me, and we made these choices to have better tyres for the race, and if we have a very bad race, then I'll have to take the responsibility of a bad weekend. 

"If it goes well, then I am happy to take the credit for pushing the team one way, but only time will tell.

"Obviously, P7 is a little bit below our expectations, even with the choices I made for qualifying, I expected to be a bit further up, but it is the way it is, the choice is made."