Can Charles Leclerc produce more Baku magic this weekend? Azerbaijan GP talking points

Extra Leclerc magic in Baku?

In the case of the Baku Metropolis Circuit, there’s no driver extra able to delivering an on-the-limits lap than Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc has constantly produced magical laps in Azerbaijan.

The Ferrari driver is unbeaten in qualifying since 2021, taking 4 consecutive pole positions.

With out his crash in 2019, it’s possible Leclerc would have stormed to pole place in Baku on his Ferrari debut.

Regardless of his outstanding run of pole positions, Leclerc has but to face on the highest step of the rostrum in Azerbaijan.

In 2021, Leclerc’s Ferrari was removed from the category of the sector, dropping off the rostrum on race day.

A reliability situation meant he was pressured to retire in 2022, but it surely’s possible Max Verstappen would have received regardless.

Equally, in 2023, Ferrari’s challenger struggled over a race distance, that means Leclerc dropped to 3rd.

2024 was his greatest shot but, however he was caught off guard by Oscar Piastri, who carried out among the best overtakes of the season.

Assessing his probabilities in Baku this weekend, Leclerc mentioned at Monza:

Will McLaren clinch the constructors’ title?

McLaren may safe the F1 constructors’ title this weekend in Baku.

After 16 rounds, McLaren are an astonishing 337 factors forward of Ferrari.

With eight rounds to go, there are 389 factors nonetheless up for grabs this season.

So fairly merely, if McLaren take a 1-2 on Sunday, they are going to be constructors’ champions for the tenth time of their historical past.

It could transfer them forward of Williams within the all-time report books, six titles behind Ferrari.

Which F1 group has probably the most constructors’ titles?

Ferrari – 16

Williams & McLaren – 9

Mercedes – 8

Lotus – 7

Pink Bull – 6

Pink Bull momentum

Pink Bull returned to successful methods final outing on the Italian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen stormed to pole place earlier than successful the race by over 19 seconds.

It was a outstanding turnaround for Pink Bull, given Monza was arguably their weakest race of Verstappen’s 2024 title-winning marketing campaign.

Verstappen credited a setup gamble by opting to run extremely low downforce, maximising Pink Bull’s Monza-spec rear wing.

The Dutchman is sort of 100 factors off Oscar Piastri within the title race, so a fifth title is unlikely.

Nevertheless, Verstappen will proceed to have a say on which McLaren driver comes away with the title.

Final yr’s Azerbaijan GP was Verstappen’s worst of the yr, as he was comprehensively outpaced by teammate Sergio Perez.

If Verstappen is preventing on the entrance once more, it will likely be a very good signal for Pink Bull heading into the ultimate flyaway races.

Ban-watch for Bearman

Haas F1 driver Ollie Bearman moved to inside two penalty factors of a race ban after the Italian GP.

Bearman picked up two penalty factors for an incident with Carlos Sainz on the chicane.

2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg was perplexed that Bearman was blamed for the incident.

“Carlos Sainz must be penalized. Bearman had half a automobile in entrance of him, it wasn’t simply the wing,” Rosberg mentioned.

“Why didn’t he go away house? It was an avoidable transfer!”

Mockingly, Bearman changed Kevin Magnussen in Baku after the Dane needed to serve a one-race suspension final yr.

Bearman should be on his greatest behaviour to keep away from a race ban in his rookie season.