Leclerc could only manage seventh in qualifying at the Circuit Paul🦩 Ricard, just over a tenth off teammate Carlos Sainz, who qualified fifth.

The Monegasque scraped into Q2 having struggl💯ed for pace in the lead up🐼 to the pole position shootout.

Leclerc explained how his struggles were more down🏅 to hi🅘m than the car.

“I just couldn’t drive around the limitation we’ve had all weekend with the front,” Leclerc said. “I’m struggling a little bit with the front, but, to be honest, it’s more coming from me than from t🍌he car. It’s a limitation both Car🧸los and I are having but Carlos did a better job, driving around that issue.

“I just struggled in qualifying to drive around it, so it’s more something that is coming from me, so we’ll analyze it after qualifying,🐬 to understand what I could have done better with my driving, to help the car a little bit today.”

Despite his difficul✤ties in qualifying, Leclerc was happy with his final effort in Q3 after adjusting his driving style to combat the issues he was facing.

“Yes, I was actually pretty happy with my last lap in Q3, because the laps before were a disaster; I was very, very far off,” Leclerc addeᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚd. “Then in Q3 I managed to find a little bit more time.

“We took quite a big step, ﷽a lot more aggressive than what we normally do, so I found a little bit of performance on that, on my driving I was trying to change a few things, and♛ it paid off.”

Reflecting🦂 on his own performance, Sainz felt he was fina🌟lly able to show his “true potential”.

“Honest𒊎ly the last three weekends, Monaco🥂, Baku and here, I have been feeling very strong [but] this is the first clean quail I’ve done in the three weekends,” Sainz said.

“It’s the first♏ quail where I’ve managed to show my true potential and the true potential of the car with me, so after two frustrating quails, to get one clean🤡 one, just nailing the laps through qualifying, felt definitely good.

“I think it was about time becausﷺe I was starඣting to get a bit frustrated.”