An angry Leclerc dropped to fourth after Ferrari called him in again for slicks and then told him, too late, to stay out after Sainz also pitted and went directly from wets to the dry tyres.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday with Mercedes team mate and overall leader Nico Rosberg set to start seventh after a grid penalty. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg joined the Briton on the front row, only his second career top-two start, although the German was under investigation by stewards for a possible flag infringement.
After pipping Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel with a lap of one minute 23.599 seconds in the first practice, the Briton shaved almost a second in FP2, his quickest lap clocked at 1:22.60.
Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg hailed Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton as one of the greatest drivers of all time on Wednesday but ruled out forging any friendly ties with the Briton as long as they raced each other. Rosberg, who lost out to Hamilton in the previous two years, made it third time lucky when he clinched his maiden title with a second-place finish behind the triple world champion at the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
'The most important thing, I think, is really about finishing races and analysing and making sure you get as many race points as you can, of course'
Red Bull's Dutch 20-year-old Max Verstappen took the chequered flag in second place with Kimi Raikkonen completing the podium for Ferrari and Australian Daniel Ricciardo finishing fourth for Red Bull.
World champion Lewis Hamilton splashed through the puddles at a rain-soaked Sepang International Circuit to secure pole position for Mercedes in a hectic Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday.
Formula One champions Mercedes expect to be beaten by Ferrari this season and also see McLaren catching up fast after a dismal 2015 for the Honda-powered team, engine head Andy Cowell said.
Mercedes threatened to review their policy of allowing their drivers to race each other freely after Formula One leader Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton accused Mercedes team mate and Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg of deliberately colliding with him at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Photos of the Belgium Formula One Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton may not be putting the Buddha into Budapest this weekend but he could be tempted to seek divine assistance if luck goes against him in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel qualified only ninth.
From pop stars to models to childhood sweethearts, Rediff.com brings you the top 10 WAGs of Formula One. Take a look...
The Briton will be toiling flat out on May Day, the international workers' holiday, to deny his German rival a seventh successive win and fourth of the sport's longest ever season.
Photos of the Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone
Nico Rosberg drew first blood for Mercedes in the new Formula One season with a dominant Australian Grand Prix victory on Sunday after pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton and world champion Sebastian Vettel retired with reliability problems.
Formula One offered fans a glimpse of the future on Thursday with a presentation of what cars will look like next season when the sport undergoes a rules revamp to make racing closer and more exciting.
'I really do believe this weekend we will be in a better position than we were last year'
The German, a four times world champion, was given a 10 second stop-and-go penalty during the race for angrily banging wheels with his Mercedes rival while they were behind the safety car.
Lewis Hamilton has had more success in Shanghai than any other Formula One driver, which makes Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix the ideal location for the triple world champion to end Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg's winning streak. While Rosberg has started the season with a perfect 50 points from two races, and a run of five successive victories dating back to last November, Hamilton is ready to turn the tables. The Briton has won four times in Shanghai and is on for three in a row after last season becoming the only driver to win the race in successive years. "It's not been a smooth start to the season for me, so to be in the championship position I'm in right now is actually pretty positive," said Hamilton, who lies second in the standings after a second and a third place. "Now we go to China for the next battle. It's a track that's been good to me over the years... so hopefully this race can be the turning point." Hamilton has not won since he took his third world championship in Austin, Texas, last October but the 31-year-old has started both races this season on pole position.
Six time world champion Lewis Hamilton, winner of the British Grand Prix from pole position at the same circuit last weekend and 30 points clear of Valtteri Bottas after four races without spectators, was 0.138 seconds slower.
Seven drivers, including Charles Leclerc, remained standing last weekend.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo won a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, with Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel finishing fourth after being penalised for swerving into rival Lewis Hamilton who came home in fifth.
The pole was the second of the Dutch 22-year-old's Formula One career and the first in Brazil for engine partners Honda since the late triple champion Ayrton Senna in 1991 with McLaren.
The 31-year-old German fell 30 points behind race-winner Hamilton after a collision with the Briton left him struggling to finish fourth in Monza last time out, one of several races where Vettel has frittered away a position of authority.
Germany's Nico Rosberg won the showcase Monaco Grand Prix for the second year in a row on Sunday to snatch back the Formula One world championship lead from Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton turned a nightmare into a dream on Sunday with his worst race of the season ending with a fourth Formula One world championship.
Lewis Hamilton hopes fellow Briton Jenson Button will make a comeback and replace McLaren's Fernando Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix when the Spaniard is away competing in the Indianapolis 500 in May.
Hamilton held on for fourth, but slipped from 18 to 32 points behind Verstappen in the championship standings.
Title-chasing Lewis Hamilton has ruled out enlisting the services of a sports psychologist even if his Mercedes Formula One bosses have consulted one in their quest to make the championship-leading team even stronger.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will start the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday.
The Shanghai weather all but wiped out the first two practice sessions for the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on Friday with poor visibility in the city forcing the grounding of the medical support helicopter.
'I appreciate the quest for safety but this is Formula One and the way it is now is perfectly fine' 'I am sad for the sport... it doesn't look right from outside when in one week we change the qualifying format three times'
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton showed his mastery in the wet to chalk up his third pole position in four races in Chinese Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton made the most of the changeable conditions to seize pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel on Saturday.
Beating Mercedes is a tough job but someone has got to do it and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo stepped forward again on Sunday as the man who can.
Formula One world championship leader Nico Rosberg took pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday while Mercedes team mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton was set to start last after his car caught fire.
Sebastian Vettel clocked a best lap in one minute and 40.464 seconds to outpace nearest rival and championship leader Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes by 0.272s.
'I want everything recyclable, down to deodorant, toothbrush, all these kind of things. I'm trying to make as much change as I can in my personal space'
