Leclerc hit by fuel system issue in disaster Ferrari qualifying

Charles Leclerc saw his qualifying ended prematurely at the start of Q3 at the German Grand Prix due a fuel system problem just moments after his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel suffered a separate mechanical issue earlier in the session.

After Vettel dropped out in Q1 due to an airflow turbo problem that denied him the chance to set a lap time, meaning he will start his home race from last place, double disaster struck Ferrari when Leclerc endured a similar fate at the start of Q3.

Leclerc, who had topped practice heading into qualifying, confirmed he was hit by a fuel system problem which meant he could not take part in Q3 meaning he was relegated to 10^th place.

“On my side it was a fuel system problem so it is a shame but we will try to understand what happened to not reproduce it,” Leclerc said. “It is a difficult day for the team and I hope it will be a very positive day tomorrow.”

Leclerc feels the problems for Ferrari, striking at the worst point given its promising practice pace, is an embarrassment for the Italian manufacturer which it must learn from in the future.

“I felt great in the car and the car felt great. Today and all weekend. It is shame it ends up like this,” he said.

Leclerc could also face further pain if the issue forces any power unit element changes which could see the Ferrari driver hit with grid drop penalties.