Ferrari: ‘Extreme’ focus on qualifying paid off with Monaco F1 pole
Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies says the team’s “extreme preparations” for qualifying laid the foundations for Charles Leclerc’s surprise Formula 1 pole in Monaco on Saturday.
Leclerc swept to Ferrari’s first F1 pole position in 18 months after topping Q3 by two-tenths of a second, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr took fourth on the grid.
Although Ferrari’s celebrations were muted after Leclerc crashed at the end of qualifying and left the team sweating on possible gearbox damage, it marked a big breakthrough for the Italian marque after a disastrous 2020 season.
Ferrari has spent the early part of the season fighting with McLaren to lead the midfield, struggling to match Mercedes and Red Bull for pace.
But it was able to compete with both teams from the start of practice in Monaco, finishing with at least one car in the top two in every single session.
“It was good, for sure, to fight on the front, to fight for pole was good,” Mekies said following qualifying.
“Both Carlos and Charles have been fast all weekend, from the first time the car hit the ground here. To still be in that position by the time that qualifying comes, when Q3 comes, was certainly a good feeling and a good reward for all the efforts to put the car back into that position.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
“We feel that it’s just a step showing us that we’re working in the right direction. It doesn’t remove what we have ahead of us, but that feeling was certainly good.”
The performance has led to hopes that Ferrari can end its win drought dating back to the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, where Sebastian Vettel scored his final victory for the team.
With overtaking notoriously difficult around Monaco, Mekies acknowledged that Leclerc was in a strong position, saying the team’s focus on qualifying pace from the start of the weekend had paid off.
“I don’t think you have any driver that starts on pole that thinks he cannot win the race,” Mekies said.
“Of course, it’s a completely different game. There is no secret that we have focused on our preparations pretty much for quali, for obvious reasons here.
“But we did it to quite an extreme level, and you have seen it on Thursday, when people were questioning our lap time.
“It’s very much because we were focused on trying to extract the most for quali.
“For sure, if you start at the front, you are going to target to fight for the wins. That would be a lie if I was thinking otherwise.”
Related video
Previous article
Why Leclerc crash conspiracies in Monaco qualifying make no sense
Next article
Mercedes ready to take strategy risks with Hamilton in Monaco GP
Why Alfa's boss is ready for the task of securing a stronger F1 future
Two tenth places in recent races have lifted Alfa Romeo to the head of Formula 1's 'Class C' battle in 2021, but longer-term the Swiss-based squad has far loftier ambitions. With the new 2022 rules set to level out the playing field, team boss Frederic Vasseur has good reason to be optimistic, as he explained to Autosport in an exclusive interview
How Barnard’s revolutionary McLaren transformed F1 car construction
The MP4/1 was pioneering by choice, but a McLaren by chance. STUART CODLING relates the tangled (carbonfibre) weaves which led to the creation of one of motor racing’s defining cars
Why the end is nigh for F1’s most dependable design tool
Windtunnel work forms the bedrock of aerodynamic development in Formula 1. But as PAT SYMONDS explains, advances in virtual research are signalling the end of these expensive and complicated relics
Why polarising Mosley’s legacy amounts to far more than tabloid rumour
The newspapers, naturally, lingered over Max Mosley’s tainted family history and niche sexual practices. But this is to trivialise the legacy of a big beast of motor racing politics. STUART CODLING weighs the life of a man whose work for safety on both road and track has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but whose penchant for cruelty remains problematic and polarising
Why pragmatic Perez isn't fazed by no-nonsense Red Bull F1 culture
Sergio Perez has spent most of his career labouring in Formula 1’s midfield, wondering whether he’d ever get another shot at the big time. Red Bull has handed him that chance and, although life at the top is tough, the Baku winner is doing all the right things to get on terms with Max Verstappen, says BEN ANDERSON
What the data tells us about the F1 2021 title fight
Formula 1 has been tracking car performance using timing loops mounted every 200m around each circuit – to the extent that it was able to anticipate Ferrari’s 'surprise’ pole in Monaco. PAT SYMONDS explains what this means for this season and beyond
The weighty issue F1 needs to find a balance with
OPINION: After consecutive street races with contrasting highlights, one theme stood out which has become a prevalent issue with modern Formula 1 cars. But is there a way to solve it or, at least, reach a happy middle ground to help all parties?
The changes behind a ‘feel-good’ F1 result in Baku
OPINION: The Azerbaijan Grand Prix had elements that make Formula 1 really exciting – unpredictability and shock results. This resulted in heartbreak for several of the championship’s regular contenders and joy for others who rarely reach the ultimate limelight. And one of those on the Baku podium is riding a wave of form he’s keen to continue
