Charles Leclerc strikes again.
He takes first place in the fourth race in a row.
The city railway in the Azerbaijani capital Baku is 6 km long and is a combination of a narrow section running through the old city and long straight stretches with the longest being 2.2 km. It’s very demanding on cars and drivers, and the one who ran it best was Ferrari’s Charles Lillersch. He took his fourth place in a row, and is his sixth for the top spot of the season.
But can he stay away from Red Bull?
Sergio Perez owns the second square and Max Verstappen’s third square. Their cars looked very powerful during the longer periods, and Red Bulls Helmut Marko is optimistic.
– Fully refueled, our car is faster than a Ferrari, he tells Servus TV.
F1 in Baku is all about tire handling
During the season Red Bull has also been good at handling the tires and they also have a good top speed at the end of the straights – which could be critical.
– It’s a very long race and we have to participate when it is decided, at the end, says Sergio Perez after qualifying. It’s a race where the slightest mistake can be decisive and it’s important to handle the tyres.
Charles Leclerc also points out that tire handling will determine the F1 race in Baku.
“It’s going to be important and looks good for us both in Barcelona and Monaco, I think we’ve developed our race pace,” said Charles Leclerc after his fourth in a row.
But while he has taken pole position in the last three races, he has not won any of them and in the battle for the World Cup title, it was Max Verstappen who was slightly ahead of the eighth race of the season.
Note that the F1 race on Sunday in Baku starts at 13.00.