Will he do it tomorrow? Charles Leclerc will start from pole position for the fourth consecutive time in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit, and this could really be his big chance for a repeat victory after the triumph in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The superiority he showed in qualifying (he has always been magical on street circuits) was so clear that it allows for the most optimistic predictions, now that Ferrari seems to have found the right path to be fast (almost) everywhere, thanks to the tires consistently reaching the right temperature window, making the SF24 very balanced, stable, and easier to drive. Better than the rivals? We’ll see in the race, but it’s a fact that the Azerbaijan qualifying showed a McLaren that wasn’t as aggressive as elsewhere, especially with Lando Norris out of the picture at the crucial moment, Red Bull was inconsistent, and Mercedes appeared to be struggling.
The Azerbaijan track, a typical street circuit with long straights and not particularly difficult corners, hasn’t been critical for tire wear in the past years, but this time, according to the Monegasque driver, that might not be the case. However, compared to a year ago when Charles held on for two laps in the lead, Ferrari is a completely different team, and in addition, Carlos Sainz is ready to play a supporting role from third position after a strong race-pace simulation.
Next to Charles Leclerc, just like in Monaco, is Oscar Piastri, who is the brightest surprise of this championship: the Australian’s second-fastest time is a serious threat to Charles, as he could tuck in behind him at the start and then slipstream to attempt a pass on one of the long straights—assuming he doesn’t get a better launch off the line, which hasn’t been McLaren’s strong suit so far. But between Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, there are 103 more races of experience for Charles, which is a significant factor, as seen at Monza. And let’s not forget that the Australian will have the full weight of the team on his shoulders, with Lando Norris, for some strange reason, starting from 17th place. Frederic Vasseur gave Charles Leclerc some wise advice, which suggests an awareness of their ability to win again: “Try not to overdo it, stay focused, and do the minimum necessary.”
The fact that Sergio Perez is surprisingly in the second row paired with Carlos Sainz shouldn’t come as a shock: Baku is the Mexican’s track, where he won his last race a year ago. After a long slump, Checo has put behind him a Max Verstappen who was brilliant in some phases and imprecise in others. Max will start from sixth, 11 positions ahead of Lando Norris: will that be enough for a cautious race, or will he want more, assuming he can afford it?
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