Originally published by this site
Charles Leclerc has accepted responsibility for paying a heavy
“price” in the Singapore Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver started
in ninth at the Marina Bay Circuit after failing to set a legal lap
time in Q3. Leclerc was quick to blame his front tyre temperatures
after qualifying and called for Ferrari to investigate the apparent
problem. However, following a solid P5 in the race, he conceded
that he was actually to blame for the tyre issues in Q3. “We just
paid a little bit the price of a bad quali yesterday,” added
Leclerc. “And actually I would also like to come back on the things
I said yesterday. “I obviously said the tyres were not in the right
window, which they weren’t. But looking back at it, there’s been
plenty of times where you have the tyres a bit out of the window
and you still have to do the job as a driver. “And eventually I
didn’t do the job as a driver yesterday. So I think the blame was
more on my side yesterday in quali to not put a lap in, and today I
paid the price of that.” Leclerc’s first stint ‘nightmare’
Leclerc’s race was a frustrating one initially as he spent the
majority of his first stint stuck behind Fernando Alonso and Nico
Hulkenberg. Despite a fourth DRS zone having been added to the
Marina Bay Circuit, overtaking remained a difficult task throughout
the race. The first stint was not enjoyable for Leclerc, who
actually started to enjoy the race once he found himself in clean
air following his pit-stop. When asked if enjoyed the race, Leclerc
said: “Yeah, I did from the end of the first stint to the last
laps. I loved it. “The first 25 laps were a nightmare, because I
was just a sitting duck behind Fernando and Nico, and I was just
hoping that they had to box very soon because I was behind. “But
that never really happened, and they went very long and so I had to
just wait. “But overall, it’s been a good race from that moment
onwards. As soon as they pitted, we maximised our points.”
“price” in the Singapore Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver started
in ninth at the Marina Bay Circuit after failing to set a legal lap
time in Q3. Leclerc was quick to blame his front tyre temperatures
after qualifying and called for Ferrari to investigate the apparent
problem. However, following a solid P5 in the race, he conceded
that he was actually to blame for the tyre issues in Q3. “We just
paid a little bit the price of a bad quali yesterday,” added
Leclerc. “And actually I would also like to come back on the things
I said yesterday. “I obviously said the tyres were not in the right
window, which they weren’t. But looking back at it, there’s been
plenty of times where you have the tyres a bit out of the window
and you still have to do the job as a driver. “And eventually I
didn’t do the job as a driver yesterday. So I think the blame was
more on my side yesterday in quali to not put a lap in, and today I
paid the price of that.” Leclerc’s first stint ‘nightmare’
Leclerc’s race was a frustrating one initially as he spent the
majority of his first stint stuck behind Fernando Alonso and Nico
Hulkenberg. Despite a fourth DRS zone having been added to the
Marina Bay Circuit, overtaking remained a difficult task throughout
the race. The first stint was not enjoyable for Leclerc, who
actually started to enjoy the race once he found himself in clean
air following his pit-stop. When asked if enjoyed the race, Leclerc
said: “Yeah, I did from the end of the first stint to the last
laps. I loved it. “The first 25 laps were a nightmare, because I
was just a sitting duck behind Fernando and Nico, and I was just
hoping that they had to box very soon because I was behind. “But
that never really happened, and they went very long and so I had to
just wait. “But overall, it’s been a good race from that moment
onwards. As soon as they pitted, we maximised our points.”