“Disappointed in myself,” Charles Leclerc dejected over terrible Miami GP qualifying

Charles Leclerc confesses he failed to extract the maximum out of the car in Q3.

“Disappointed in myself,” Charles Leclerc dejected over terrible Miami GP qualifying

Charles Leclerc. Image via PlanetF1.

Charles Leclerc has labeled his crash at the Miami Grand Prix qualifying as “unacceptable.” The Monegasque had a lock-up on his first flying lap. Leclerc knew the clock was ticking and wanted to deliver on his final Q3 run. Unfortunately, he lost control of the SF-23 through Turn 7 and spun into the barriers.

Leclerc’s crash inevitably brought out the red flag and prevented the other drivers from improving their lap times. As a result of which, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took the pole position. Leclerc was disappointed in himself, as he also made the same mistake in the same corner on Friday. He will now start seventh on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. The young Monegasque could not hide his emotions after the crash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCHjdp_ySZo

FS Video

Charles Leclerc told Sky Sports F1, “More than the track, I think what’s unacceptable is doing twice the same mistake in the same corner. I am really disappointed with myself. You can always find excuses in those situations, the wind was really strong, it was tricky, and the setup of the car was really tricky also but I put myself in this condition.”

Related: WATCH: “Crashgate 2023”- Fans react as Charles Leclerc crashes out of Miami GP qualifying

Charles Leclerc knew his Q3 setup would be tricky

Charles Leclerc. Image via Sky Sports.
Charles Leclerc. Image via Sky Sports.

The 25-year-old was rather harsh on himself. He explained that he wanted the set up. Leclerc said, “I knew it would be tricky, but I thought I would be able to extract the maximum out of the car in Q3, which is normally one of my strong points. I know that I’m also taking more risks than others in Q3, which is why most of the time why I’m doing good Q3s but this is too much.”

Charles Leclerc is the master of qualifying. He has 19 pole positions so far. But his risk in the Miami qualifying did not turn out in his favor. He was disappointed with himself as he made the same mistake during the practice session. Leclerc was asked if he puts too much pressure on himself during the qualifying sessions. He revealed that it paid off most of the time, but he was disappointed this time around.

As per the weather report, there is a high chance of rain during the race on Sunday. Charles Leclerc is focused on having a clean race and finishing in front. He only wants to stay out of trouble. Though Aston Martin looks strong, Leclerc hopes for a podium finish as he believes in Ferrari’s race pace. 

In case you missed it: