Charles Leclerc hit a low point in his season two weeks ago when he crashed into the wall in Monaco during qualifying, preventing him from starting the race in his home country. In Azerbaijan, he was up front after all, but it was a disappointment.
The driver was satisfied with his position on the grid after qualifying, but was aware that Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez with their Mercedes and Red Bull Racing would soon overtake him. "We knew they had a better pace, so I tried not to fight too much with Red Bull and Mercedes. It was just as expected," Leclerc told Sky Sports.
It didn't mean Leclerc lingered in that disappointment for long, however, as he continued to do extremely well in Baku. In the end, his fourth finishing position earned him twelve points for the world championship, which puts him in fifth position for the time being. "The last part of the race was very nice, but in the beginning I didn't have so much fun," he said.
Sainz's performance in Ferrari
His team-mate Carlos Sainz failed to get beyond an eighth finishing time on Sunday afternoon, securing four points for Ferrari. The Spaniard had to beat out countryman Fernando Alonso, who finished sixth in his Alpine.