09/06/2018
NEWS STORY
Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team finished qualifying ahead of the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix with one car (Charles Leclerc, P13) in Q2. This accomplishment marks the fourth consecutive time that the young Monegasque driver has advanced into Q2. The team headed into FP3 with the same car configuration on both cars, and focused fully on qualifying preparation. It was clear to the team that Q2 was possible for either racer.
The drivers started the qualifying session well, with both putting in a strong performance. Unfortunately, Marcus Ericsson made contact with the wall during Q1, damaging the front right of the car and having to abort the session before it ended (P19). Charles Leclerc managed to get up to speed and follow the track evolution, advancing into Q2 (P13). The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team looks to tomorrow's race with confidence following the strong pace shown since the beginning of the weekend.
Marcus Ericsson: "After a promising Friday, today was more difficult for me. In FP3 I was not as comfortable with the balance of the car. We did some work in preparation for the qualifying session. Initially I felt better - unfortunately, I was pushing a bit too much and touched the wall, damaging the front right. I couldn't rejoin the session and it was disappointing for me as the potential was there. At the moment, I am struggling a bit to put everything together in qualifying. Regarding the race, as we showed in the last weekends, we have the pace so we need to remain focused and fight back."
Charles Leclerc: "It was a good day overall. We made some good steps from FP3 to qualifying, and I am pleased to have finished in Q2 again. The track was new to me when I arrived in Montreal this weekend. After the last two days, I definitely feel comfortable driving here, and the car also feels good. Starting in P13 tomorrow is a positive, and I look forward to seeing what we will be able to do during the race to get a good result."