Charles Leclerc says he hopes Ferrari can fight for a podium finish at Formula 1’s Turkish Grand Prix after opting for a low downforce set-up.
Leclerc struggled during the early stages of qualifying but made it through to Q3, where he set the fourth-fastest time.
That will net Leclerc third on the grid for Sunday’s race due to Lewis Hamilton’s 10-place penalty.
“I knew it was going to be a tricky session for us because we decided to go for a low downforce set-up for this qualifying for tomorrow,” he said.
“Eventually I think is the right choice but for today it was going to be tricky.
“Then for Q2 thanks to Carlos [Sainz] obviously for the tow, otherwise I think it would have been a bit tighter to get to Q3 with the traffic I had in the last three corners.
“I don’t want to get carried away too much, obviously it is a good result for the team today, we are just behind Mercedes and Red Bull which for now are difficult to beat for us, so we maximised the potential of the car today.
“I feel like we have the right set up for the race if it is dry and if it is the case I’m confident.”
Despite the optimism over Ferrari’s speed Leclerc nonetheless stressed he is likely to take a slightly cautious approach at the start.
“I mean I won’t take too many risks with the two first [drivers], we are not fighting with them in the championship but starts are always tricky, but I won’t take too many risks,” he said.
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