BAKU (AZERBAIJAN) (ITALPRESS) – “Like every street circuit this one is also among my favorites. We hope to maintain here as well the state of form of two weeks ago in Monza but we know it is better not to make predictions before we have gone on track at least in free practice.” Charles Leclerc is in high spirits but does not mince words during a meeting with the media in the paddock at Baku City Circuit, one of his favorite tracks. Success in Monza was a boost of enthusiasm, and in Azerbaijan there could be conditions to try to repeat that, not least because there is a great feeling between Leclerc and the Baku circuit. “On city tracks there is an element of risk that is very intriguing for me. You have to gain confidence slowly, turn as much as you can and understand the limit, which means taking into account the characteristics of the asphalt, those of your car and the general state of the track,” he explained. “It’s a challenging and progressive exercise, which usually allows you to reach a better and better level of confidence. Our car seems to have qualities suited to the track, but to say whether we will be ahead or not is impossible before we have also checked the pace of our opponents. Once again we will have to focus on ourselves and the execution of the weekend. If we can keep up to the levels of Zandvoort and Monza I expect that we can be competitive.” Expanding on what he expects for the last part of the season, the Monegasque driver says, “A lot will depend on us and how we know how to approach the championship finale race after race. I think right now in the team there is the right mentality and we have to continue like this. With so many cars at the same level honestly everything is still open. “Carlos Sainz is surprised by the humidity found in Baku and this is where he starts. “We are finding temperatures we are not used to around here, but they are conditions that can help prepare us well for the next race in Singapore. First though, we hope to take some satisfaction,” he told reporters in the paddock at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Spaniard also did not mince words about the weekend that awaits Ferrari in Baku although the SF-24 should not fare badly on the more than six thousand meters of the Azerbaijani circuit. “On paper I expect our package to be competitive, but let’s wait and see how we go in free practice. In Monza we did a good job as a team and it will be important to try to repeat that here as well,” Sainz said, “where with the walls every mistake risks being paid for even more dearly. Motivation is high and although realistically I don’t think we are the fastest, I am convinced that the team’s performance can subvert the values defined by the pure performance of the various cars. I am confident that we can do well.” Sainz said he was satisfied with how the SF-24 performed in Monza, but, again, the Spaniard preferred not to get out of line thinking about the last part of the season: “We have to take it one race at a time and to fully verify the effectiveness of the new parts we have introduced on our single-seater we will have to wait for the Austin race. Meanwhile, we will continue to push hard.”- Photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
