P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc says ending up on the front row of the grid for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a “big surprise” after he feared a Q1 elimination.
The Ferrari driver was surprised by his performance in qualifying, as he was concerned about being eliminated in the first part due to the nature of his car. However, he managed to produce a special lap with his final run in Q3, placing his car on the front row alongside Max Verstappen. Leclerc felt great and was happy with his performance, considering the challenging weekend they had experienced. His teammate Sainz, on the other hand, suffered a shock elimination in Q1 due to traffic. Now, Leclerc is determined to surpass Mercedes and secure second place in the constructors’ championship, hoping that Sainz can join him in the fight. Their goal is to finish ahead of both Mercedes cars and achieve a second-place finish in the constructors’ championship.
