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

Why Leclerc crash conspiracies in Monaco qualifying make no sense
Mercedes ready to take strategy risks with Hamilton in Monaco GP

Latest news
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...