Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc starts the Formula 1 race in France from first place on the grid. The Monegasque secured pole position in qualifying in Le Castellet on Saturday ahead of world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull.
The Dutchman was 0.304 seconds behind in hot conditions with temperatures of more than 30 degrees and sunshine. Third place went to the Mexican Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
Sebastian Vettel was 14th in the Aston Martin, Mick Schumacher was only 19th. Actually, the Haas driver would have ended up further ahead, but the 23-year-old’s fastest lap was subsequently canceled because he was forbidden to leave the track and allegedly left the track had given an advantage, as the race director later decided.
Only Schumacher’s second-best lap, which was only enough for position 19, was counted. The son of record world champion Michael Schumacher will not have to start from this starting position on Sunday (3 p.m. / Sky), since Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas each start from the end of the field after penalties. Schumacher should start from 17th place, for Vettel from 12th.
Sainz and Magnussen are penalized for replacing parts on the drive unit, each exceeding the allowable limit. Sainz had previously been sanctioned on Friday after training with new control electronics for the drive unit.