World championship leader Charles Leclerc praised the enthusiasm of Ferrari’s many American fans on Saturday, but warned of a tense battle ahead after leading the Italian team to a front-row lockout at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.

Leclerc, 24, claimed pole position ahead of his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz after world champion Max Verstappen made a rare error and slipped to third on the grid for Red Bull at a packed Miami International Autodrome. “The fans are crazy,” said Leclerc. But it’s incredible to be here in the US and to see how much the sport has grown over the last few years,” said Leclerc.