"It's been a very smooth weekend until now" - Charles Leclerc says everything 'went perfectly' on his way to pole position for 2022 F1 Monaco GP

Charles Leclerc took pole position at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session. The Monegasque will be starting in front of his teammate Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez in the race on Sunday.

The qualifying session of the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix was full of twists and turns, with the home favorite Charles Leclerc seeming like the strongest driver by a healthy margin. The Ferrari driver took pole position in 2021 as well but missed out entirely on the race due to a crash at the end of Q3. This year, however, the 24-year-old driver made no errors whatsoever, managing to best his championship rival Max Verstappen.

Speaking to former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde in Parc Ferme, Charles Leclerc expressed his optimism for the upcoming race, saying:

“It is very special. I’m so incredibly happy. It’s been a very smooth weekend until now, I knew that the pace was in the car and I just had to do the job. It went perfectly. That last lap before the Red Flag was really, really good. Anyway, it didn’t change anything for us. The car felt amazing and it’s great to have Carlos [Sainz] with me on the front row. Dry conditions are a bit more predictable but whatever comes, we are competitive so we will be fine.”

Max Verstappen currently leads the championship with a brilliant win at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix and will start P4 on the grid. However, the Ferrari driver will be looking to regain his championship lead once again.

---

Charles Leclerc claims he is going to 'take a step back' at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc said that he is going to “take a step back” in his approach at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP to ensure that he gets good results from the weekend and does not take too many risks. The driver claimed he took a lot of risks in 2021, in a bid to get his comparatively slow-paced car onto the front row.

Speaking to L’Équipe, he said:

“Last year, I took a lot of risks. I knew I needed a miracle to get to the front row. Obviously, I am aware of the expectations, but this season I decided to take a step back. In Monaco, even if I remain the same person, and apart from the big events, it’s like a small village.”

Leclerc took provisional pole at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, but crashed out heavily at the end of Q3 and was unable to start the main race the following day due to heavy gearbox damage.

This year, however, with championship rival Max Verstappen starting P4 on the grid at a track that is not overtaking friendly, the Ferrari driver can finally hope for a stellar home race win. Catch the action live on Sunday, May 29, 2022.