"I think I broke the car" - Charles Leclerc radios the team after messing up final qualifying lap in F1 Austrian GP

Charles Leclerc's final flying lap at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix qualifying was undone after he lost control of his car and went wide into the gravel. The Monegasque driver recovered and got back on track, but not before damaging the floor of his SF-24.

Formula 1 is in Austria for the 11th race of the 2024 season. Max Verstappen once again claimed the pole at Red Bull Ring, Red Bull's home race, and continued his pole position supremacy that he started in 2021. Lando Norris and George Russell qualified in P2, and P3, respectively.

Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton rounded off the top five, followed by Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Sergio Perez in P6, P7, and P8, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon qualified in P9 and P10.

Ferrari and Tifosi had high hopes for the Monegasque driver ahead of the qualifying session. After the 26-year-old's final flying lap was jeopardized due to a technical fault, all eyes were on Leclerc if he could make amends when it mattered the most.

As Leclerc found himself on the gravel, he said on the radio:

"I think I broke the car."

Leclerc, in the process, lost a tenth and a half but managed to bag P6.

Qualifying is of immense importance at Red Bull Ring, as drivers who qualify in the front of the grid tend to keep their places during the race. As seen in the Sprint race earlier Saturday when Piastri and Norris swapped places (P2 and P3). Except for them, the top six remained unchanged.

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Charles Leclerc admitted to his "mistake" following an underwhelming qualifying

Charles Leclerc admitted that he pushed over the top and lost control of his car. His "mistake" in turn 4 cost him and the team a valuable position up the grid as well as points aplenty.

Speaking about his error, Leclerc said in the post-qualifying interview:

"The pace in the car was better today, but we couldn't show the potential today. There is no excuse. I didn't do a good job in Q3."

"I think I went over the limit. Turn 1 and 3 was really good and I was faster than my previous lap, tried to brake later and then I locked up and lost the two tenths. Pushed turn 6 and then lost the car. It was my mistake," he added.

McLaren is breathing down the neck of Ferrari in the Constructors' Standings. Ferrari are in P2 with 276 points, compared to the Papayas' P3 with 250 points.

Charles Leclerc is in P3 with 150 points, 30 points ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who is in P4.