Leclerc explains frustrated F1 radio outburst after Q2 exit

The Monegasque could only qualify 11th for Sunday’s race at Spa-Francorchamps as he suffered only his second Q2 exit of the season in a dramatic, wet qualifying session in Belgium. 

Leclerc voiced his displeasure over team radio after the chequered flag fell on Q2 and questioned Ferrari’s decision to pit him early for a new set of intermediate tyres. 

“For me guys, we fucked up - but let’s talk about it later,” Leclerc rued. 

“I don’t understand why we stopped,” he continued. “We had nothing to lose, we were in a good place and everyone stayed out. I didn’t want to stop that early.” 

But speaking after qualifying, Leclerc revealed he had understood and accepted Ferrari’s explanation behind the strategy call in the post-session debrief. 

"I think in qualifying we weren’t that bad,” Leclerc explained. “I think we maybe went a little bit early in the last run of Q2 with the tyres but in the car I was frustrated. 

"I have to say now I completely understand the choice once the team explained [to] me the reason. There was some rain on the radar and it’s always so difficult to know if it’s going to be five minutes early or five minutes late and today it was five minutes late. 

"It’s life, it’s part of racing, and tomorrow we’ll try and maximise the race result.”

Meanwhile, teammate Carlos Sainz was left perplexed by Ferrari’s lack of wet weather performance after enjoying better competitiveness in similar conditions at Imola earlier this year. 

The Spaniard was only 13th in qualifying but like Leclerc, he will profit from penalties for Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and McLaren's Lando Norris.

"The last time I drove this car in the wet was Imola, well first and last time, and I really enjoyed it, I felt like we had really good performance there in the wet conditions," said Sainz. 

"And for some reason this weekend it’s nowhere and don’t fully understand why. I’m quite lost to be honest with why the feeling is not there and unless it changes, something big tomorrow it’s not going to be easy.

"So there’s nothing really positive about today and the pace we had, we had no pace at any time and it’s strange you know because I love these conditions and I’m normally very quick in them so it particularly hurts to be slow.”