After two weeks of celebrating Leclerc's exceptional victory at Monza, we've finally arrived in Baku, a track the Monegasque driver has always enjoyed and one that seems to suit Ferrari well, much like Singapore. Following the "miracle" at Monza and yesterday's brilliant pole position, expectations were sky-high. However, Oscar Piastri ended the dream of a second consecutive "miracle" for Leclerc.
Although the Australian put in an impeccable race, it's hard to deny that more was expected from the Ferrari driver. Let's admit it: this time, there was nothing incredible or miraculous.
For fifteen days, we’ve heard criticism directed at Norris for getting overtaken by Piastri at the start of the Monza GP. Today, Leclerc's lack of defense against a predictable attack and his limited effectiveness in the following laps seem to have left his reputation untouched. The commentators attributed the situation to McLaren's power with the DRS, even suggesting that the MCL38's wings flex more than they should, almost as if they were irregular. Leclerc, on the other hand, explained that it was Ferrari's performance on hard tires that impacted his final result. It's true that Leclerc didn’t shine on the white-banded Pirellis, but it’s equally true that Sainz, on the same tires, managed to gain over 10 seconds on the top two in the final stages.
This doesn’t mean Leclerc should have won, but his car wasn’t as slow in the last stint as it might seem. More likely, there was a misjudgment in how to approach the stint on the hard tires, as well as in how to handle the battle with Piastri, which led to Leclerc’s tires degrading quickly.
Another point to consider is the start of Leclerc’s second stint. I understand the need to manage the tires in the opening laps, but losing 5 seconds in that way seems excessive. He could have pushed earlier, avoiding giving Piastri such an easy DRS advantage, which is especially powerful in Baku. By the time Leclerc picked up the pace, Piastri was already two seconds ahead, making recovery much more difficult.
Even so, unlike Norris (who, by the way, had an excellent race), we won’t see Leclerc harshly criticized by commentators for being overtaken. After all, the narrative always seems to be the same: Leclerc never has the right car to win, right?
If he’s achieved so many pole positions but few victories, that’s the reason—or so the story goes. Perhaps the solution would be to stop calling "miracles" what are, in reality, performances that have a rational explanation, so we aren’t disappointed most of the time.
© Simone Marchetti
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