Red Bull is facing a tough fight from Ferrari this year. It is not just the Italian team, though. The McLaren team has been pretty good this year. In the last few races, the Austrian outfit seems to have lost its grip on the hegemony a bit. They don’t look as dominating as they have been last year. In 2023, the Milton Keynes outfit won a remarkable 21 races out of 22 outings. The one race they did not win happened in the 2023 Singaporean Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz Jr. of the Prancing Horse became the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last season. Even in the ongoing season, the Spanish driver was the first to break the streak of the Red Bull domination.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez came 1-2 in the opening race in Bahrain and then again in Jeddah in the same order. But then, in the Australian Grand Prix, Max had a shocking DNF that allowed Ferrari drivers to enjoy the advantage of finishing at the top. Eventually, Sainz won the Australian GP. Lastly, in the Monaco GP, the other Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the race at home. Now, the drivers are getting ready for the Canadian GP. Recently, Leclerc mentioned that Red Bull will again become dominant when the season will turn to “normal tracks.”
The Monagasque Driver Feels Red Bull Will Look Dominant Soon Again
Lately, Charles Leclerc said that he is expecting Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s struggles to end as soon as the F1 circus returns to the more “Normal tracks.” What did he mean by that? Ahead of the race in Montreal, the Ferrari driver mentioned that they will have three races on the trot, including the Canadian GP, where bumps and kerb riding are most important. Leclerc believes once the F1 season gets back to Europe, there will be more tracks that will favor Red Bull over other teams. Then, Max Verstappen will find it easier to win more races and extend his lead. Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc is trailing Max by 31 points.
Moreover, the Monagasque driver feels bumps may not be that big in Montreal, but kerb riding is going to be a “Big Thing.” He predicts from the race in Barcelona, “The Milton Keynes team will do a step up. But I just hope that’s not the case.” Moreover, Leclerc thinks the track conditions will be the same in the next three races. That gives Ferrari some advantage over Red Bull. Now, can the Prancing Horse turn it around in the constructor standings in the next few races?
Charles Leclerc Believes Ferrari Can Put More Pressure On Their Rivals
Ahead of the Canadian GP, Charles Leclerc told the media, including RacingNews365 that at the first part of the season, his team has done a good job overall. Previously, they were a step behind Red Bull. Lately, though, Leclerc feels they are not far behind as they have not lost many points. Not losing a lot of points give the Prancing Horse a big edge.
The winner of the 2024 Monaco GP feels the team must focus on themselves and bring upgrades as soon as possible. That’s how they can close the gap at tracks which are more normal for the Austrian team. And that’s how they can put more pressure on Red Bull.
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