2023-10-21 09:13:51
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Published on: Saturday, October 21, 2023 – 12:13 PM | Last updated: Saturday, October 21, 2023 – 12:13 PM
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has decided to start from first place in the American Grand Prix scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, as part of the Formula 1 World Championship.
This came following the result of the Dutch world champion, Max Verstappen, driver of the Red Bull team, was canceled in the official tests due to exceeding the track limits.
Leclerc, the Monaco driver, achieved the best lap time on the track during his last lap, recording one minute and 34.723 seconds, and Verstappen outperformed him by 0.005 seconds, initially thinking that he would start from first place in tomorrow’s race.
But Verstappen, who had already won the World Championship title for the third consecutive season, went off the track at the nineteenth turn, and the time he recorded in the lap was erased, and he fell to sixth place.
Leclerc said following starting from first place for the third time this season: “I was happy during the official qualifying trials. The last lap witnessed some mistakes here and there, but I feel really happy. I love this track and this atmosphere, so it is a wonderful thing to be here.”
British-Belgian Lando Norris, driver of McLaren, finished second, but said he believed he might have achieved a better result.
Norris said: “I think we had the opportunity today. We had enough to grab pole position, so it is a shame. We lost the opportunity once more. We are in a good position. It will be difficult to overtake Leclerc, but I will strive for it.”
Briton Lewis Hamilton recorded the third best time in the official test, which constitutes a good result for the Mercedes team, which is competing for second place in the overall standings of the constructors’ class in the world championship, following Red Bull won the title.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz, a Ferrari driver, took fourth place, followed by British driver George Russell, a Mercedes driver, in fifth place.
Frenchmen Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, drivers of the Alpine team, ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, followed by Mexican Sergio Perez, driver of Red Bull, and Australian Oscar Piastri, driver of McLaren.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo, driver of AlphaTauri, finished fifteenth in the official tests, upon his return from injury.
Ricciardo missed the past five races due to a fracture in his left hand during free trials for the Dutch Grand Prix on August 25.
Verstappen can regain his balance following the mistake he made in the official test, through the short race test, which determines the starting positions in the short race scheduled today.
Verstappen had won the World Championship title through the short race held before the Qatar Grand Prix two weeks ago.
Red Bull won the constructors’ category title in the world championship through the Japanese Formula 1 race last September.
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