The first two training sessions of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix are done and dusted off. While Mercedes is not known to be strong on street circuits, some drivers like Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were surprised to see the pace of their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas as they weren’t the fastest.
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However, the Monégasque believes the Silver Arrows will show their true pace in qualifying and will park their cars in the front row for Sunday’s race.
Charles Leclerc knows that Mercedes hides its pace
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After the meeting, Leclerc said: “Mercedes, I don’t really know what happened either. But I’m pretty sure they’ll be ahead and it’s basically going to be a fight between McLaren, our main rivals. So we have to make sure that we do everything perfectly. “
Formula 1 F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 19, 2021 Ferraris Charles Leclerc during a press conference in front of the Monaco Grand Prix Pool via REUTERS / Sebastien Nogier
“Because they are making very few mistakes this year. So we will try to maximize our potential this year and hopefully be ahead of them in qualifying, ”concluded Leclerc.
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How did the Silver Arrows fare in Baku?
It’s another street circuit at the Azerbaijan GP and Mercedes didn’t seem to show its true potential on the track. In FP1, Hamilton only managed the seventh fastest lap, while team-mate Bottas was 10th.
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In the second training session, things got worse for the Brackley team. the seven-time world champion was 11th and the Finn Bottas fell back to 16th place.
Formula 1 F1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 4, 2021 Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton in action during REUTERS / Anton Vaganov practice
The Silver Arrows have to find their formula for success if they want to spend a good weekend in Baku and recapture the lead in the championship from rivals Red Bull. With the intense pressure of the qualifying rounds just a few hours away, Hamilton & Co hope that they can find or show their true pace (if Leclerc’s words are to be believed).
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