P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc has explained the extend of the damage caused by his off in sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint which led to a “compromised” session, saying “there wasn’t much more” he could have done to better his seventh-place finish.
Charles Leclerc believes he could not have improved his Ferrari’s qualifying performance at the Chinese Grand Prix sprint due to being “compromised” by his off-track incident in SQ3. Despite struggling track conditions, Leclerc and the remaining drivers switched to intermediate tires, with the track proving treacherous. The Monegasque driver had a significant moment, sliding into a barrier but was able to continue. Leclerc admitted that the initial laps were challenging, affecting the rest of his session. He acknowledged his team mate Carlos Sainz’s improved qualifying form this season. Leclerc is optimistic about showcasing his dry weather pace in the sprint race following his learnings from qualifying.
