Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari is best placed to win the Azerbaijan GP. The Monegasque secured pole position for the race and his teammate Carlos Sainz is starting from third. The two Ferrari men are split by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. However, first and third are the most favorable starting positions on the Baku City Circuit and Leclerc explains why.
As quoted by Formu1a.uno, he said, “This is probably the best result we could hope for. Normally the even side of the grid is where there is less grip so first and third are the best positions to start from. We hope to be able to play our cards to win, but it will certainly be a very long race.”
Leclerc also highlighted his past failures in Baku to convert his poles to victories in the last three races. However, the Monegasque feels in each of those seasons, Ferrari’s one-lap pace was better than their race pace, and in 2024, it’s the opposite case. So, he is confident of winning the race and their starting positions also boost their chances.
Charles Leclerc: “This is probably the best result we could hope for . Normally the even side of the grid is where there is less grip so first and third are the best positions to start from.”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) September 14, 2024
The odd starting position on the starting grid is the racing line in Baku. So starting from the first and third, both Leclerc and Sainz will get the racing line grip at the start. Hopefully, his teammate will be able to overtake young Piastri into Turn 1. Then, Ferrari can exert more control over the outcome of the race.
This is why, the Monegasque believes they’re in perfect starting positions and can go on to win the race. This is also the Ferrari man’s fourth pole position in a row at the Azerbaijan GP. However, given the state of the car, he’s in a prime position to break his race-win duck in Baku.
With maiden Baku win in sight, Leclerc also has a chance to move up the standings
The Monegasque showcased in the Italian GP the SF-24’s upgrade package is working. He managed his tires incredibly when the rest of the grid did not have the confidence for a one-stop and crossed the line to take the win. Leclerc believes tire management will be a factor in Baku as well. However, according to his multiple remarks over the weekend, he feels extremely confident in the car.
Now, he’ll be eyeing back-to-back wins to further increase his chances of winning the championship. Leclerc has been quietly chipping away and now reduced the gap to the lead to 86 points. However, when a 62-point gap for Lando Norris is steep to surpass, Leclerc has an even steeper climb to Max Verstappen from P3 in the standings.
But the #16 driver can significantly reduce the deficit with a win in Baku and also overtake Norris in second. And even if the driver’s championship seems out of touch at the moment, there’s potential for silverware on the constructors’ side of things.
Ferrari is currently 39 points off the lead and 31 points behind McLaren in second. That’s an easily achievable target if they can consistently finish on the podium in the upcoming races. Norris’ qualifying error has given the Italian outfit an incredible chance to make up some ground on their rivals in Baku and tip the scales in their favor.
