Chasing the first victory in Baku
For the fourth time in his career, Charles Leclerc is on pole position at the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit. His relationship with the Azerbaijani track is one of love and hate. The Ferrari driver adores it, but for one reason or another, he has never managed to win here. It’s a sort of curse—like the one that afflicted him in Monaco—that #16 hopes to break once and for all.
“In 2021 and 2023, we didn’t have the car to win,” Charles Leclerc admitted, “but due to fortunate circumstances, we found ourselves on pole. In 2022, we had a good car, but unfortunately, the engine blew up. Tomorrow, we’ll see: I haven’t yet done a lap with a lot of fuel, so it will be important to adapt quickly, but this year we’re stronger in race pace compared to a single lap. This gives me confidence. There’s always a difference between what’s on paper and what actually happens, but I’ll do everything to be as prepared as possible tomorrow and finish the job.” – he pointed out.
The crash in FP1 and the ‘scare’ in FP3
Charles Leclerc’s great confidence with the Baku track allowed him to overcome the crash in the first free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix: “I don’t consider it a home GP, but it’s definitely a track where I feel comfortable. After the mistake, I was still quite confident, also because in that corner I regained confidence in FP2 and FP3. I was happy with the car, I changed almost nothing from FP1, and it was basically the same car until qualifying. That’s pretty rare, but I felt good, and I knew that with my driving, I could change the car’s balance a lot. Every time it’s like that, I feel very comfortable.”
The real scare of the weekend, for now, came in FP3, with the risk of a penalty for not slowing down under yellow flags, which then turned into a ‘simple’ reprimand: “I didn’t know what the stewards’ decision would be,” Charles Leclerc said about it, “but I lived through that situation and felt that it was the right decision to make. I’m always very honest with myself; I wouldn’t have said that before getting in the car if it had been another case, so I was calm. The best thing I had to do at that moment was focus on qualifying, so I didn’t have much time to think about anything else,” he added.
“This is one of my favorite tracks of the entire season. It hasn’t been an easy weekend; the crash in FP1 forced me to recover some rhythm. In FP2, we had issues with a new part we brought, and we lost another half-hour there. I wasn’t worried, but I knew there was work to do. The pace was always there, and in qualifying, in Q3, I just had to stay away from the walls. In the last lap, I pushed harder, and the time came naturally. The car felt great, and it’s fantastic to be on pole. 1st and 3rd is the best result we could have hoped for. The even-numbered side of the grid has less grip, so being 1st and 3rd are the best positions. We hope to play our cards right to win. In the past, we were very strong in qualifying but struggled in the race. This year, the car is good; we hope to make it tomorrow. Tire management? It will be crucial tomorrow as well. We did a great job at Monza, and we’ll have to do the same here. We’ll do our homework tonight to be ready for tomorrow.” – Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc concluded at the end of the qualifying session for the 2024 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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