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Charles Leclerc in Ferrari
Photo: SYLVAIN THOMAS / AFP
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc starts from first place in the Formula 1 race in France (Sunday 3 p.m., TV: Sky).
The Monegasque secured pole position ahead of world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull in qualifying in Le Castellet on Saturday. The Dutchman was 0.304 seconds behind in temperatures of more than 30 degrees and sunshine.
Third place went to the Mexican Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull.
World Championship runner-up Leclerc, who recently won the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg and was able to reduce the gap to his rival Verstappen, secured top spot for the seventh time in the twelfth qualifying race of the season.
Most recently, the Ferrari driver had to give way to the competition three times on Saturday, and Leclerc is now the hunted again on the Circuit Paul Ricard.
Qualifying ended early for Mick Schumacher: In the first third of qualifying, race control denied the Haas driver his fastest lap time.
Schumacher had illegally left the track for a few moments in turn three and thus gained a small advantage.
Schumacher's second-best time was only enough for 19th place.
Penalties for Sainz and Magnussen
However, the 23-year-old does not have to start from that far back on Sunday: Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas, who both made it into the top ten, have to start the Grand Prix from the end of the field after penalties.
Both will be penalized for replacing parts on the drive unit while exceeding the allowable limit.
Sainz had previously been sanctioned on Friday after training with new control electronics for the drive unit.
The second German driver in the field also benefits from the penalties: Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel moves up from 14th to 12th place on the grid.
cev/dpa