F1 Azerbaijan GP: “They are in another league,” Charles Leclerc disappointed after finishing P3 behind the Red Bulls in Baku

Charles Leclerc has acknowledged the might of the Red Bull F1 team in 2023.

F1 Azerbaijan GP: “They are in another league,” Charles Leclerc disappointed after finishing P3 behind the Red Bulls in Baku

Charles Leclerc (Credits: Planet F1)

Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari F1 driver, has managed to amass a P3 finish at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. To the surprise of several people up and down the paddock, the Baku race was extremely straightforward, with nothing substantial happening during the race. Leclerc was a sitting duck for the Red Bull duo to get past because of the RB19’s superior race pace.

Charles Lecelrc’s SF-23 just did not have the firepower to hang with the might of the RB19, and while talking about his outing during the post-race interviews, he said, “They are in another league when it comes to race. So, the really good lap managed to put us in front, but over 51 laps it was just not possible. They have so much more pace. I think they found something we didn’t yet, and that is where our focus is.”

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“Everyone is working flat out to find this, and in the race especially to get more performance. The feeling is a little bit better, but when I see the gap. We don’t know how much we have closed the gap. We still have a lot of work.” Looking at the Mongasque driver’s reaction, it is quite clear that he is extremely detected with his outing.

The most disappointing part for him about the race was how easily Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez could get the better of him. Despite starting the race from P1 on the grid, Leclerc did not have the weaponry to challenge the Milton-Keynes-based drivers. However, P3 is still a decent finish and some much-needed points on the board for Leclerc.

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Charles Leclerc and co. have got a lot of work ahead of them

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc

With the fourth round of 2023 F1 season done and dusted, the focus will shift toward next weekend’s race in Miami. For Ferrari, the next event will be incredibly crucial if they are to stay within touching distance of teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin. The Red Bull team has proved too strong for the other nine teams.

In Azerbaijan, Ferrari’s Achilles heel was on show for everyone once again. While Charles Leclerc managed to stick his car in P1 during qualifying, the SF-23 proved no match for the super-fast Red Bulls during the race. The Maranello-based team has to sort out its race pace issue somehow if they are to stay close to the top end of the grid throughout the season.

Considering everything that happened around the Ferrari F1 team at the Baku Street Circuit, would Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz be able to become a nuisance for Red Bull in Miami, especially considering that the Miami event is also a street race? At the upcoming race, several eyes will be on the progress of the Italian team.

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