Leclerc’s smile as he climbed from the car told the story of another job well done, but the Monegasque was instantly thinking of tomorrow’s race, wary that the lengthy run down to Turn 2 - Sochi's first real corner - could actually make starting first a disadvantage.

“Yeah it felt amazing,” said Leclerc, who will have Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton alongside him on the front row. “It definitely feels great to back on pole, but I don’t know if it’s the best track to start on pole.

“The straight is very long after the start, so tomorrow the start will be very important as always, but here probably even more because of the straight length.”