Motorsport has long been a dreamland for those with a statistics penchant. They’re everywhere, in every category. And right now, in Formula 1 2022, there’s a stat that can offer Charles Leclerc a crumb of comfort after he lost a victory shot through no fault of his own for the third race in succession at last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
It was his least likely chance to prevail over the Red Bull pair after F1 left the tight confines of Barcelona and Monaco to race on Baku’s long blasts. But Leclerc, even before his aggressive virtual safety car stop had set up an intriguing strategy battle that was ruined by his retirement, had already secured an unlikely success on what was expected to be happy hunting ground for the slippery RB18s.
