Formula 1: the catastrophic Ferrari race in Baku, with the double abandonment of Leclerc and Sainz

Saturday’s ranking had sown illusions in Ferrari. Charles Leclerc had set the best time on the last lap ahead of the Red Bulls at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Spaniard Carlos Sainz in fourth place. But before the halfway point of this Sunday’s race, a sporting catastrophe occurred.

First it was the Spaniard, who started from 4th position, who I have to go reaching the fourth corner of the Baku street circuit, one of the fastest of the season.

Sainz – who had just finished second in Monaco – retired on the ninth of the 51 laps, due to a plumbing problemwhich made him brake the car on the escape route of the fourth of the 20 corners of the circuit.

“It’s a bad day for the whole team and for me, who didn’t compete anymore. It’s a day to be united as a team so that it doesn’t happen again in the future.”the Spaniard said, frustrated, as he reached the pits.

All hopes, therefore, were pinned on Leclerc, which came in handy. Because in addition to having lost the lead at the start at the hands of the Mexican Sergio Checo Pérez, he managed to recover it on lap 18.

The Monegasque’s pace had increased after he pitted to switch to hard tires in the middle of a virtual Safety Car, also setting the fastest lap so far.

He thus took advantage of the fact that the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and Checo Pérez entered the pits late to return to the lead in the Azerbaijani Grand Prix, as at the start of the eighth round.

But on lap 20, Leclerc’s Ferrari started to smoke, the engine failed on one of the circuit’s long straights through the streets of Baku and he had to go to the pits.

“It’s hard to find words. It hurts, it’s three weekends in a row, it hurts, it hurts a lot. They are three hard blows but the motivation is still there.”commented Leclerc, fourth in Monaco and started in Barcelona, ​​to lose the top of the drivers’ championship at the hands of Verstappen.

“I went through more difficult moments, but five races ago I came with a very large distance. I’m going to recover and try to find a solution.”completed, excited about the future.