Charles Leclerc described the concluding stages of qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix as a "big mess", after several drivers missed their final laps.
The remaining nine Q3 participants completed slow out-laps as they all sought to find a slipstream, with the result being that only Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. started a second push lap.
Having already set the fastest time on his first Q3 run, Leclerc did not need to register another effort, and so backed off, as he secured his fourth pole of the year and second in as many events.
"Obviously the feeling I got when I went out of the car, hearing the crowd cheer so loud is absolutely amazing,” he said.
"On the other hand, obviously a bit of a shame for the team because Sebastian [Vettel] couldn’t do his second-timed lap and he was very quick.
"I felt like maybe a 1-2 was an opportunity, even though these guys were extremely quick and it was very, very close.
"The whole qualifying was a big mess with all the slipstreaming and trying to have the best one. But I’m very happy with this pole position."
Leclerc went on to explain Ferrari’s tactics, after he passed Vettel on the back straight on the last Q3 out lap, a result which ensured he beat the chequered flag.
"So to be completely honest the plan was that in the first run Seb was giving me the tow and in the second run I would give him the tow," said Leclerc.
"I actually went out of the box in front of him and then there was the huge mess after Turn 1 and 2 and the McLaren and the Renault, they stopped in the middle of the track and we had nowhere to go.
"Seb overtook me there with the mess because obviously we were quite aware that it was quite tight on time and then I stayed basically behind Seb until the last straight where I heard also on the radio ‘you can overtake Seb’, so I overtook him but then I had no time for me either to start the lap. It was a shame but I don’t think I could have done much more."
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