Charles Leclerc “does not know” what happened with his Ferrari in the Austrian GP sprint qualifying 

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was left perplexed after he failed to set a time during the SQ3 session in the Sprint Qualifying for the 2024 Austrian GP on Friday. The Monagasque driver could not set a lap time as he failed to cross the line before the chequered flag fell at the Red Bull Ring.

The 26-year-old Leclerc looked competitive throughout the session and was in the mix for a good grid position for the sprint. However, with just over a minute and a half to go, Leclerc incurred an anti-stall with his SF-24, which resulted in him losing around 20 seconds in the pit lane.

Speaking with Sky Sports after the session, Charles Leclerc was unsure about the problem he faced in the pit lane and said:

"I don't know what happened. I was in the pit lane and I got the anti-still then everything switched off. The team told me we will speak later, so I don't know."

---

Charles Leclerc gives his take on his missed chance in Sprint Qualifying

Charles Leclerc stated that he did not believe that he could have fought for the Sprint pole position but was confident that he would have finished better than P10.

He said:

"We were not super strong but we would have been better than P10. A bit disappointing but we will try to have a good Sprint to come back."

Heading into the Austrian GP weekend, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was confident in the SF-24's performance. He believed he just needed to unlock its full potential. Here's what he said, according to the team's official website:

“The numbers we have seen confirm the effectiveness of the elements we brought and now it’s up to us to do a good job of optimizing the package. I believe there’s potential to be unlocked and that’s what we must focus on. We have to compensate for the weak points of the car and make the most of its strengths.

"When the gaps are so close, that can be the difference between finishing second or sixth on the starting grid, and where you end up on Saturday can have a very strong bearing on the final result, given that with these cars, overtaking is always very complicated.”

While Charles Leclerc is certainly out of position, he will be confident of overcoming the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who will be starting ahead of him. He will also be looking to launch an attack on Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton.