Charles Leclerc is pleased with his P8 showing in Friday qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, though perhaps more importantly, he's confident the engine issues that slowed him down have been resolved. The Monegasque driver finished just 0.048 seconds slower than Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, despite several radio messages during the session due to engine braking problems. "Qualifying was really tough for me today," Leclerc stated after Friday's session. "We had an issue throughout the sessions with the electronic management of the engine braking. "The situation was especially tricky in Q1, but for Q3 it had slightly improved and it should be fine for tomorrow. "All things considered, eighth is a good result. We will try to gain some positions in Sprint Qualifying to secure a good starting position for Sunday’s race." Sainz was more upbeat following Friday's action, noting that Ferrari's performance shows how much progress the Scuderia have made since last year when they qualified 13th and 17th at Monza. "It's good progress compared to last year," Sainz stated. "You need to remember last year, one car was out in Q1, the other one was in P13, so in a matter of a year, we've progressed in this sort of track that we know doesn't suit the characteristics of the car. But we still want more and we will keep working for it. "We managed to put together some good laps. [It was] very close between Charles and me, there or thereabouts, so it shows that the car is where it is. We want more for the future, but today it's what we have."
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