P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc secured second place for the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but feared he would miss out on a spot in the top 10 entirely.
Charles Leclerc admitted that he was concerned about not making it through qualifying in the first two segments, despite starting on the front row next to his teammate Carlos Sainz. In the end, Leclerc finished just over a tenth of a second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen after an impressive final lap. This was a much better result compared to Sainz, who was eliminated in Q1 and will start 16th on the grid. Leclerc expressed surprise and happiness with his second-place finish, considering the struggles Ferrari had during the weekend. He mentioned that the car performed better with new tires and hoped that Sainz could also have a strong race to help Ferrari overtake Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. The team’s goal is to finish ahead of Mercedes and secure second place in the standings.
