Charles Leclerc secured a sensational pole position in the final stages of qualifying and triumphed over Max Verstappen once again this season. The Ferrari driver has made it a habit to do one better than Max Verstappen whenever it comes to those tight one-lap shootouts and this was another such occasion.
After the first run from both the drivers, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen were separated by only 0.008 seconds in Leclerc's favor. On the second lap, however, the Monegasque pulled away. Improving his lap time in every sector, the Ferrari driver was able to secure a very important pole position for himself.
Watching him triumph, F1 fans rushed to congratulate the Ferrari driver. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter.
"Leclerc to jest kozak #elevenf1"
"Leclerc hopefully can convert this pole into a Grand Prix win. #FrenchGP"
"Max fu*ked up there....when push comes to shove...Charles does produce the better lap..."
"Even though Sainz helped Leclerc in qualifying to get pole, problem is tomorrow Sainz will be at the back and Leclerc will be on his own against two Red Bulls in P2 and P3"
"Glad he got pole but he will be battling with two Red Bulls tomorrow. He got help today but he won’t get any tomorrow."
"Max was getting that pole if it wasn't tow. But superb work by both Ferrari drivers. They worked together today for pole now i hope both RedBull work together tomorrow for win. Bring on race #FrenchGP #Lec16 #Max1"
"Helmut Marko said Charles gained 1,5 tenths maybe 2 so it would have been Pole anyway but the gap would have been smaller"
"Leclerc's Ferrari is putting Verstappen to the breast. If it weren't for the engine failures, Leclerc would have been in first place."
"Charles basically did none of the group project but still got a good grade. Lol"
This is Charles Leclerc's 7th pole position of the season
Charles Leclerc secured his seventh pole position of the 2022 F1 season at Circuit Paul Ricard. It was a stormer of a lap and it only builds credibility when it comes to anointing the Ferrari driver as the best qualifier in the sport.
The race, however, is going to be a tricky one. Red Bull appeared to hold the edge when it came to the long runs while Ferrari struggled with excessive tire degradation. It will be worth keeping an eye on the battle between Verstappen and Leclerc tomorrow.