Leclerc selected now to now not fight Perez in Baku F1 speed

Saturday polesitter Leclerc launched cleanly to keep establish into Flip 1 after which retained aid an eye on over second-beginning Perez at a security car restart that adopted AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda shedding a tyre.

But rapidly after DRS was enabled, the Crimson Bull’s straightline advantage allowed Perez to dive cleanly up the interior into Flip 1 of lap eight for the lead and the eventual fetch by 4.463s.

This gallop came despite the DRS zone down the principle straight being reduce by 100m for 2023.

Leclerc reckoned he did now not fight exhausting to preserve first, announcing: “I did now not know what to expect.

“I did now not fight too vital [Perez] attributable to I real wished to take a search at and aid my tyres – I knew this was our ragged level.

“I attempted to halt interior the DRS of [Perez] so he might per chance well pull me on the straight.

“But that wasn’t adequate. We had been losing rather bit too vital towards the tip with the degradation.”

Courtesy of topping Friday afternoon qualifying, Leclerc will moreover start the stout mammoth prix on Sunday from pole nevertheless completed down Ferrari’s chances of exacting revenge on Crimson Bull.

He reckoned the SF-23’s lesser skill to alter the Pirelli tyres supposed that over a flee stint, “Crimson Bull restful has the upper hand”.

Leclerc said: “We cannot exchange the auto [overnight]. So, useless to disclose, you might per chance well presumably work rather bit right here and there on a flap perhaps.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“But [the sprint event] confirms rather bit what we belief the Crimson Bull restful has the upper hand in the flee.

“But we all all over again should always now not put out of your mind how far we had been in the back of in flee tempo two races in the past. So, we did a step forward. We’re restful now not the establish apart we’re seeking to be.”

After unreliability struck in Bahrain and crashing out in Saudi Arabia, Leclerc is currently handiest tenth in the standings.

He, therefore, said banking points rather than developing too vital threat by pushing for victory was the plot for Sunday.

He persisted: “But as I said, if successful is now not imaginable, then we real should always take the maximum points.

“Today time. there wasn’t anything more so happy with second establish apart. We are going to strive to anyway gallop for the fetch the following day though the Crimson Bull appears to be quicker.”