"We were quite surprised by our pace" - Charles Leclerc scores pole position after 'messy' practice for 2022 F1 Australian GP

Charles Leclerc confessed that Ferrari's pace during qualifying for the 2022 F1 Australian GP left him surprised. The Monegasque driver put in a blistering lap of 1:17.868 to see his Prancing Horse gallop to the top of the timesheet at Albert Park. His time was the only one below the 1:18 mark.

After the session, Leclerc was asked to share his thoughts by former British F1 driver-turned-television pundit, Johnny Herbert. The Ferrari driver said:

“It felt good. I mean even more because it is a track where I have always struggled in the past as a driver. I don’t know, it probably doesn’t fit me as well and this weekend we really worked hard. It was a bit messy for the free practice sessions for me. I managed to do some good laps but not everything together. And in Q3, I managed to put everything together. So, it feels great, and yeah, [I’m] very happy to be starting on pole.”

Leclerc also pointed out the rapid nature of the Red Bulls, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez breathing down his neck on the grid on P2 and P3 come race day. The 24-year-old went on to add, saying:

“The car is nice to drive but the Red Bulls were very quick in FP2 during the long fuel run but to be honest, we were again quite surprised by our pace in qualifying. So, everything is possible tomorrow. We just need to do a good start and hopefully we can keep that first position.”

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Charles Leclerc could miss Carlos Sainz's company during 2022 F1 Australian GP

Charles Leclerc will need to be on his toes when the lights go out at the Albert Park Circuit on Sunday. Red Bull could use two cars to force the Monegasque driver into unforced errors or even an unwanted pitstop if they play their cards right.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was the unwitting victim of a red flag being waved after a heavy crash for Fernando Alonso during the final qualifying session. The 27-year-old Spaniard's time was not registered owing to the crash of his 40-year-old compatriot in the Alpine.

Sainz will start the Australian GP from P9, a contrast when compared to his P3 starting position in the opening two rounds of the season.

It remains to be seen how Charles Leclerc will cope with the pressure of the two Red Bulls behind. Recent races from Sakhir and Jeddah have shown he is not afraid to go wheel-to-wheel with defending world champion Max Verstappen, so we could be in for more of the same.

F1 fans around the world will know for sure when the lights go out for the 2022 F1 Australian GP on Sunday, April 10.