Carlos Sainz got the first pole of his Formula 1 career when Ferrari needed it most.
The exploit of the 27-year-old from Madrid on the wet Silverstone asphalt is a good injection of self-esteem for Maranello, who hopes to have emerged from a difficult period in England.
His masterful lap in qualifying relegated Max Verstappen's Red Bull to second position (0.072 thousandths behind), which had led most of the session, until it spun.
The second line also promises sparks at the start, with Charles Leclerc and the other Ferrari alongside Sergio Pérez's Red Bull.
"It was a nice ride, but I had a lot of problems with standing water. I thought it was nothing special,
when I looked at the scoreboard and saw the time it was a surprise ", commented Sainz, who thus responded to the criticisms of those who expected more from him in his second season in Ferrari." Granting yourself the first pole is always special, especially at Silverstone - he added - It's really nice. "At the moment fifth in the provisional classification of the world championship, Sainz gave everything in the final rush of Q3, stopping the clock at 1'40" 983.
A nice gift on the weekend of his 150th GP start.
Now he only needs the first win to make it perfect.
The weather conditions for tomorrow are expected to be more lenient, according to Météo France forecasts for the FIA.
Today qualifying was plagued by rain showers and intermittent gusts of wind.
"
You had to be on the track at the right time.
I think being on the front row is a very good thing and we have a good racing car both in the dry and in the wet "assured the world leader Verstappen." The race pace is there - in Leclerc's words - and if everything I can do well, a lot will depend on tire management, we will have to decide whether with one or two stops.
I am happy for Carlos.
He did a great job.
I spun on the last lap, the one in which you have to give your all, I didn't deserve the pole. "In front of the cheering spectators, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell respectively conquered the 5th and 8th position. The seven-time world champion thus ended his streak of eight front row starts at his home race. Mercedes,
like Alpine and Williams, they arrived at Silverstone with a number of modifications to their cars.
Lando Norris (McLaren) snatched sixth place on the grid, while Fernando Alonso will start seventh at the wheel of his Alpine.
Ninth place for the Chinese Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo), author of the best qualifying performance in his first season in F1.
