Despite limited practice running time on the Baku Street Circuit, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is optimistic about his chances in the Azerbaijan GP. The new floor upgrade the team introduced at Monza is proving beneficial for Leclerc and his team.
Free Practice didn’t start well for Leclerc, as he crashed out in FP1. However, he made a strong comeback by finishing first in the following session, showing that Ferrari retained the pace it displayed in Monza.
“Not the best way to start, but I still have confidence with the car and I like the circuit,” Leclerc said after
Admitting that Ferrari couldn’t complete all the practice programs they had planned, the Monegasque driver insisted that they would be competitive regardless. We don’t know what the others are doing with the engine and other things. The grid is certainly compact and it will be fought,” he added.
Charles Leclerc: “We are fast. We were not able to do all the laps we wanted for the program, but we are competitive.”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) September 13, 2024
Ferrari struggled to compete for wins in the weeks leading up to the summer break, but after Leclerc’s victory at Monza, the team is hoping for another positive result. However, it won’t be easy, as McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull are all likely to be in the mix. The margins are extremely slim.
In the race, if Leclerc crashes like he did in FP1, his whole weekend could be ruined. There were even concerns that he might have damaged a component following his shunt on Friday.
Fortunately, his team replaced the damaged partCharles Leclerc Assures Ferrari Will Be Competitive In Baku Amidst “Compact” Grid, and the 26-year-old ended FP2 as the fastest.
Ferrari’s pursuit of the Constructors’ title
For most of the European leg, Ferrari was absent from the fight for wins. However, their victory at Monza marked a return to the top. Winning in front of the Tifosi was a fairytale scenario, but the team knew they must maintain their performance. Leclerc is confident that they can do that.
Currently, McLaren is the team to watch. The Woking-based will aim to collect maximum points every race weekend until the end of the season. That is the only way Lando Norris, can fight for the Driver’s title and help the team sustain its challenge for the Constructors’ championship.
However, Ferrari is also in the running. The Maranello-based team is just 39 points behind leaders Red Bull, and a climb up the standings could earn them tens of millions of dollars. If they manage to surpass McLaren in the process, it would be a costly blow to the Woking-based outfit.
