Charles Leclerc seems to have momentum on his side as he registered an emphatic win in front of the Tifosi two weeks ago at Monza. After opting for a risky one-stopper, he drove brilliantly to beat the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Despite having beaten the two McLarens in Italy, he chooses to remain modest when asked about what are his expectations going into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend. He stated,
“We’ve been strong on the Saturdays here but on the Sundays have struggled with tire management here. That’s been one of our strengths this year. I don’t expect to be on the pace of the McLaren here but closer.”
Looking at the fight in front with McLaren and Red Bull. Do you feel yourself getting closer?
Charles Leclerc: I don’t think we are at the level of McLaren and Red Bull yet.
Source: @PitDebrief
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He then added where he feels Ferrari falls in the pecking order. He stated that after McLaren, “it’s probably Red Bull and then Mercedes“. Although he feels Ferrari are only the fourth-fastest team currently, he believes the Monza track was a one-off as it suited their car’s strengths.
Since Baku is also one of the circuits that requires very low levels of downforce due to the long straights (especially the start-finish stretch), similar to Monza, Ferrari might just be able to keep up with the pace of Norris and Piastri.
The Italian team managed to set the car perfectly for low-drag conditions in Monza, which ultimately allowed Leclerc to pull off a one-stopper and keep the McLarens at bay. Therefore, there seems to be no reason why Leclerc and Ferrari cannot pull off another brilliant win in Baku this weekend.
