Vettel and Hamilton reserve praise for 'very impressive' Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel both took time to praise young Charles Leclerc, who produced a stunning drive on home soil to finish qualifying in eighth place for Sauber, a superb finish for the 20-year-old whose stock in F1 continues to rise.

Leclerc massively exceeded expectations in an underdeveloped car to finish just two positions behind Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari, in a qualifying session where Mercedes dominated, securing a one-two at the front of the grid.

Hamilton said of the up-and-coming driver: "There's a lot of pressure for him, being here in the south of France, so it's really, really good.

"I'm happy for him, particularly in that car, he's done a great job with what he has - probably even more, which is what you hope from a good driver."

Vettel also highlighted Leclerc's display as worth of mention, adding: "Eighth is an impressive result, they are still quite a long way behind with the car.

"For him he's doing the job, it's good for him and for Sauber as well to be up there and have chance to score points."

Leclerc himself could barely contain his delight at their performance, branding the result 'unbelievable'.

He beamed: "Yesterday was a disaster, the car didn't feel great and I was not driving very well but we changed the car completely today and I felt a lot better.

"I have no words to describe how I feel right now. We all should be proud, the team and I of what we achieved."

Leclerc's display is likely to set tongues wagging for where the young Frenchman may ultimately end up next season, with speculation that he could be identified as the man to partner Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari next season, with Raikkonen making way.