Charles Leclerc conceded that tyre warm-up difficulties meant his Monaco Grand Prix pole position wasn't as straightforward as it seemed. The Ferrari driver took pole position for his home race by around one-quarter of a second ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz. Leclerc had been on course to improve his lap time before the red flags were deployed because of a crash for Red Bull's Sergio Perez. Speaking after the qualifying hour, Leclerc admitted that he had been battling traffic problems and an oversteering car en route to topping the timesheets. "It is very special. I'm so incredibly happy," Leclerc told Sky Sports F1 . "That last lap before the red flag was really good, but it didn't change anything [because of the red flags]. "It was really on the limit. I had quite a bit of oversteer and I struggled to put the tyres in the right window in the last sector because there was a bit of traffic. "The rear was a bit loose, but still the lap time came and I was improving quite a bit, I think I was four tenths faster before I stopped so it was a good lap."
Leclerc: Ferrari comfortable in wet or dry conditions
Despite the warm conditions at the Principality, this year's Monaco Grand Prix comes with a threat of rain at some point during the event. The Monegasque driver admits that whilst he would prefer a dry race, he believes that the Ferrari team are well prepared for dry or wet conditions. "It's been a very smooth weekend up to now. I knew the pace was in the car, I just had to do the job and it went perfectly," Leclerc added. "To be honest, that car felt amazing and it's great to also have Carlos with me on the front row. "I think a dry race is a bit more predictable, but whatever comes I think we are competitive so we will be fine."
Most read
