There are no dull days in life, being a Ferrari fan, as almost every day is a roller coaster ride. The same was the case with Tifosi’s Monégasque driver. Charles Leclerc‘s pole at the US Grand Prix is not something anyone expected. Leclerc was very close to not being in the pole position. A series of mixed interactions between him and his race control engineer is all that the Ferrari fans needed.

With the SF-23 quite suiting the challenging United States Grand Prix track, Ferrari was expected to be strong. However, seeing Leclerc at the pole was certainly quite a surprise. Thanks to Max Verstappen’s final lap time being deleted, due to track limits. We all got to witness a comical interaction between Leclerc and his race engineer, Xavi, who was very close to giving the pole sitter a heart with his choice of words.

Charles Leclerc pole position at the US GP: Roller coaster journey at qualifying

The SF23 showcased impressive straight-line speed, as witnessed before at the Italian and Singapore Grand Prix. Along with that, the high-speed braking capability of the car also looked solid. The fans got to witness these traits of the Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showing strong output. However, it was Leclerc who stole all the limelight. With his quick lap time of 1.34.723.

But as usual, in typical Ferrari fashion, race engineer Xavi’s radio mix-up caused an outburst by Leclerc, which he quickly contradicted. A frustrated Leclerc said, “For f*ck’s sake, tell me the name before!“ Upon finishing his best qualifying lap, Leclerc awaited an update from his race engineer, as Max Verstappen was yet to register his final Q3 time. But after Verstappen’s final lap time was deleted, Xavi had a radio mix-up as he accidentally scared the driver while announcing that Verstappen’s time being deleted.

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Leclerc added, “My engineer told me ‘track limits’, and then ‘for Verstappen’, and when I heard track limits, I punched the steering wheel and my helmet. Then I heard ‘for Verstappen’ and then I was, OK, that’s better news for us!”

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We feel your pain, Charles! We know it’s never easy with Ferrari. However, it seems like Leclerc might soon be getting used to this. During the post-qualifying conference, he was asked about his thoughts heading into the qualifying, following the practice session. He responded, “I don’t think anymore now, I stopped thinking a lot time ago.” Didn’t we all? Especially when it comes to Ferrari.

Can Ferrari get one over Mercedes and McLaren?

Heading into the United States Grand Prix, Ferrari and Mercedes are quite clearly the favorites. The SF23 clearly suits the track more. Meanwhile, W14 is driven by Lewis Hamilton, who is perhaps a man on a mission. Don’t be surprised if he is able to avenge the Abu Dhabi 2021. Despite Lando Norris finishing just behind Charles Leclerc, unfortunately for him, the MCL60 is a weaker car out of the three.

Whether or not Ferrari can get one over Mercedes and McLaren depends on Charles Leclerc and how errorless he is. With him being quite error-prone this season, he’ll have to bring his A-game. Especially when considering how hungry Lewis Hamilton is to get his first win in quite a while, on top of the W14, bringing a new floor to the COTA.

Amidst a whirlwind of emotions, Charles Leclerc’s pole position at the US Grand Prix captured the essence of F1’s exhilaration. Ferrari’s unexpected dominance and Leclerc’s fluctuating reactions underscored the sport’s unpredictable nature. As the showdown with Mercedes and McLaren looms, fans eagerly await the thrilling battle ahead.

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Do you think Leclerc will be able to deliver an error-less performance at the US GP? Or will Carlos Sainz have to once again carry the team on his shoulders?