Charles Leclerc claims pole positions ‘no longer a highlight’ despite scoring 23 career pole positions

The Monegasque Charles Leclerc is not impressed by Pole Positions after scoring 23 total career pole postions.

Charles Leclerc claims pole positions ‘no longer a highlight’ despite scoring 23 career pole positions

Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

The Monegasque Charles Leclerc has been in the sport of Formula 1 for quite a while now. However, Leclerc failed to manage a victory under his belt for the 2023 season despite scoring five pole positions in the season. Hence, Leclerc shared his piece of mind over scoring pole positions for the race.

The 26-year-old, after scoring 23 career pole positions exclaimed that the highlights for him are normally the victories. Although he added that pole positions felt good after winning so many, they lost their value. Additionally, the fact that the main race on Sunday would be difficult, s*cks the joy out of scoring first position in qualifying sessions according to Leclerc. Even the fans are now less confident about the Ferrari driver going into the race as a favorite even as a pole sitter. 

Normally it’s the victories, Of course, a pole position feels good, but I’ve already got 23 of them. And of course, the whole thing is clouded by the fact that I already know on Saturday that Sunday will be much more difficult.
Leclerc told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

Hence, Leclerc renounced the fact that pole positions were no longer a ‘highlight’ for him. Hence the best thing this season for the Monegasque was that the team understood the problems in the car and brought changes to the car for the better. This was even more special since it was very difficult to reach this understanding for the Maranello.

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That’s why pole positions are no longer a real highlight. That’s why the best thing for me this year was that I helped to understand the car and transform it in a direction that is better and will lead us back to success in the medium term. Especially because it was so difficult to reach this understanding.

Overall car performance is more important to Charles Leclerc

The winless stint of 2023 from Charles Leclerc was unlike his Spanish counterpart’s performance. Carlos Sainz secured a singular race win at the Singaporean GP, crushing a near-perfect run from Red Bull, and scored the only non-Red Bull victory this season. However, Leclerc outshone his teammate in terms of championship standings and points.

Carlos Sainz, Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz, Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

Despite finishing fifth in the standings, Leclerc highlighted the fact that championship standings were irrelevant to him and only the car performance mattered. The important fact was that the team moved on from the season with more learnings about the development of the car rather than victories in the season.

Finally, the Maranello needs to desperately rediscover their old form to return to their winning ways. Ferrari aims at contending with Red Bull for the constructor’s championship in the subsequent season after sustaining a mediocre P3 finish in the constructor’s this season.

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