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Looking at the current season, it seems that McLaren has made the most significant progress this year and is on track to continue at the same pace. Another team that has also been impressive this season is Ferrari. Their recent win in Italy has sparked optimism among their fans, who are hoping for even greater achievements in Azerbaijan and Singapore.
Ferrari demonstrated last season that they are a team capable of achieving great things. However, their ambitions have grown since then, and they are now determined to compete for the championship. This season, it is not realistic that they will make such a success, but they can certainly be happy about the fact that their drivers have taken important steps forward.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari's talented driver, has expressed high expectations for the upcoming two races, hoping to achieve success. While some believe that Ferrari could be the best team in this part of the season, Leclerc still considers McLaren as the team to beat. Leclerc sees the Azerbaijan GP as a fantastic track where he has previously enjoyed a lot of success.
"I still think McLaren are the favourites but we have done a step forward that's for sure and Baku is a pretty nice track for me," Leclerc said, as quoted by Reuters.
"I quite like this track and I've been quite competitive in the past, so who knows maybe we can achieve something special again there."
The Italian team introduced an upgrade package in Monza, which proved to be a great success. Carlos Sainz reflected on the upgrade, noting that he was not optimistic before the Monza race. The only place where he felt hopeful was Singapore, but he still believes that Ferrari is lagging behind teams like Red Bull and McLaren.
"I don't think it's enough to be the car to beat for the rest of the season on other tracks," said Leclerc.
"Before this race, I don't think I was seeing myself challenging for wins anywhere else. Maybe Singapore. Singapore maybe could be a strong track for us. On the other tracks, I still feel like we are a step behind McLaren and Red Bull."
Leclerc emphasized that Ferrari can compete with McLaren if they execute everything perfectly. He had a great race, demonstrating that he can match the best in the sport. The young driver points out that they have made massive progress, but he doesn’t want to be overly optimistic about the team’s potential to dominate in the upcoming races. What excites him is the current progress they’re making.
Charles Leclerc on his Monza victory
The 26-year-old finds it difficult to describe the moment of achieving victory. Leclerc expected that this time, the win wouldn’t feel as significant, but the emotions were just as intense as they were a few years ago. The Monegasque driver surprisingly secured the win, despite many not giving Ferrari much of a chance. Leclerc showcased his best performance, found his rhythm, and demonstrated that he will be a serious threat to his rivals as the season progresses.
"It's an incredible feeling. In fact, I thought the first time would be special, and that the second time - if there was one - wouldn't be as much, but my God, the emotions in the final laps were exactly the same as in 2019."-Leclerc said.
Leclerc explains that Monaco and Monza are the two races he aims to win every year. While his ultimate goal is to win as many races as possible and secure the World Championship, these two races hold particular importance for him. Winning them this year feels incredibly special.
What can we expect in the rest of the season?
The 26-year-old now faces an interesting challenge for the remainder of the season: trying to establish a strong rhythm and show his rivals what he's capable of. This season has brought many surprises, making it difficult to predict who might appear as the winner in the upcoming races. The element of surprise, which was notably missing last season, has returned to Formula 1. It will be intriguing to see who can take the lead this time and what we can expect for the rest of the season.
Max Verstappen remains in the lead, but some believe that despite his huge advantage, McLaren might be able to dethrone the Dutchman. Verstappen has sent a message to his rivals, declaring that he won’t back down and aims to push even harder to stay ahead of McLaren and Ferrari. Currently, Lando Norris is the closest competitor, but Verstappen still holds a solid lead over him.
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