The Scuderia Ferrari duo, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Saenz, were strong contenders in a tightly contested Sprint Qualifying session at São Paulo’s iconic Interlake’s circuit. Leclerc will start Saturday’s 24-lap, 100-kilometer Sprint from third on the grid, while Saenz’s SF-24 lines up just behind in fifth. The team’s strategy to stay near the front paid off, setting up both drivers to push hard in the race.
Sprint Qualifying Overview
Following the regulations, all drivers ran on Medium tires in SQ1 and SQ2, then switched to Softs for the final SQ3 session. In the first part, both Ferraris carried enough fuel for multiple laps to take advantage of the evolving track conditions, while SQ2 saw them go lighter. Both drivers comfortably progressed to the top ten, where limited time allowed only one flying lap per driver. Leclerc clocked an impressive 1’09”153, placing him second temporarily, with Sainz close behind at 1’09”257. However, Max Verstappen edged between them, and Oscar Piastri ultimately claimed pole, relegating the Ferrari pair to third and fifth.
Importance of the Sprint Race
Saturday’s Sprint will be crucial, offering a maximum of 15 points for a first and second finish. Teams will use it to evaluate car performance in race conditions since Friday’s single practice session focused more on Sprint Qualifying. After the Sprint, there will be a short interval before the teams prepare for the main Grand Prix Qualifying at 15:00 local time (19:00 CET).
Driver Reactions
Charles Leclerc #16
“I’m fairly pleased with our Sprint Qualifying result. I think we maximized what we could today and couldn’t have gained much more. The McLarens are quick, but we’ll push hard to challenge them in the Sprint. Every point will count.”
Carlos Sainz #55
“Today was challenging, especially given the track conditions. It was windy and significantly cooler during Sprint Qualifying, which made things tricky. In Q2, I managed a solid first lap on the Mediums, so I could save that tire for the Sprint. Our final run on the Softs was decent, but we’ll need more grip to start higher.”
Fred Vasseur, Team Principal
“We aimed to be competitive in Sprint Qualifying and accomplished that, so I’m pleased with our starting positions. It was tough to do better given the McLarens’ speed, but our drivers adapted well to the changing conditions. We’ll focus on tomorrow’s race, and then look to improve further in Sunday’s Grand Prix Qualifying, where the points matter most.
