Charles Leclerc: I hope to be able to compete with Red Bull in the race

Charles Leclerc posted the second fastest qualifying time for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and will start from the front row for the second race in a row. The Ferrari leader said he was satisfied with his lap and expected to compete with the Red Bull Racing drivers in Saturday’s race.

Oliver Berman, who unexpectedly made his debut in Formula 1 due to Carlos Sainz’s health problems, set the eleventh fastest time.

Charles Leclerc (2nd): “On the first attempt in the final, we changed our approach slightly during the preparation round, but it didn’t help me. On the second attempt I put all the components together and got everything out of the car that it was capable of today.

I’m happy with my lap, but it’s a shame that in qualifying we were quite far away from what we expected. I hope we are a surprise and can compete with the Red Bull drivers in the race.

I hope Carlos recovers quickly. As for Oliver’s performance, he did a fantastic job. He only had one session, but he got up to speed straight away and felt comfortable in the car, which is good. I’m happy for him, but it’s his first race for Ferrari after just one practice session, which makes his debut special.

I hope we both have a great race and earn points for the team.”

Oliver Berman (11th): “In the morning I woke up with thoughts about the upcoming Formula 2 race, but then I was suddenly sucked into Formula 1 – I was behind the wheel in the third practice and qualifying.

Of course the situation is not ideal. I sympathize with Carlos and wish him a speedy recovery, but this is a fantastic opportunity for me. I’m a bit sad that it turned out this way, but it was a nice day.

It is a fact that the condition of the track is improving rapidly. In Formula 2 we qualified quite early and the circuit has changed a lot since then. The grip on the asphalt is incredible – I was shocked on the first lap.

In Formula 2 you drive to the limits of the car, in Formula 1 you drive to the limits of the driver and his training. Great feeling, but it takes time to get used to it.”