The uncrowned king of Baku: Charles Leclerc’s unfortunate record at the Azerbaijan GP

28 pole positions, yet only 8 wins: Charles Leclerc has proven to be an elite qualifier, outperforming his car and always driving on the absolute limit. Even though Ferrari´s package hasn´t been posing a threath to the predominant Mclaren this season so far, against all odds, Leclerc managed to put his car on pole position in Hungary. Despite all efforts, he was being denied victory in the race the following day, a fate that has befallen him more than once in his career.

As F1 returns to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, Ferrari´s hopes rest on Leclerc once again. He is considered to be the fastest driver over a single lap in Azerbaijan, claiming four poles from four attempts since 2021 - an unmatched record in Baku. Nevertheless, he has never managed to convert his starting position into a race win, finishing second the previous year and third the year before. Therefore, the question arises: Why has the King of Baku been left uncrowned - and will he finally claim his crown this year? Let´s find out.

pictures by @artoff1

Inferior machinery brought victory out of reach

Ferrari has only won six races since the 2023 season - an unsatisfying record for the Maranello based squad. They have established themselves as third force behind Mclaren and Red Bull, leaving their drivers in frustration.

This also shows in Leclerc´s Azerbaijan GP record: In the 2021 Baku Grand Prix, Checo Perez snatched victory from Hamilton in the last three laps. Charles Leclerc has already been ruled out of contention for victory a lot earlier, being overtaken by Hamilton and two Red Bull´s within the first eight laps of the race. In 2022, Leclerc has been forced to retire from leading the race due to a power unit issue. In 2023, the streak went on. Leclerc lost his lead in lap four already, being passed by Max Verstappen. Two laps later, Checo Perez passed the monegasque as well. Leclerc was once again beaten by the predominant force in Formula One at the time, finishing in third place. Last year, Leclerc clinched pole position for the fourth time in a row. The pace was there and Leclerc managed to keep the lead until lap 20, where Oscar Piastri went for a bold move into turn one, taking the lead and consequently winning the race. It was the fourth time in a row (even the fifth time if the sprint race in 2023 is considered) Leclerc was denied victory in Baku despite starting from pole position. If there is one to blame for that unfortunate record, it´s his machinery. The Ferrari couldn´t withstand the pressure from it´s competitors, as contrary to Red Bull and Mclaren, the Ferrari lacked both top speed and cornering performance which made defending almost impossible.

What´s sure to say is: Leclerc is the man to beat in Baku, but fighting with blunt weapons is giving the monegasque a hard time on sundays when raw pace is not solely relevant for the race´s outcome.

Same story, different year?

Beating teammate Lewis Hamilton 12 - 4 in qualifying sessions so far this season, Leclerc is still considered as one of the best qualifiers on the grid. Therefore it´s hard to find reasons why Leclerc shouldn´t be in contention for pole position this saturday - claiming pole in Hungary earlier this year seemed to be impossible on paper as well. However, in Monza, where Ferrari often proved to be a dominant force, Ferrari didn´t meet expectations. The SF-25 lacks cornering speed, especially in high speed corners, due to ongoing problems with tyre temperatures. Even though the characteristics of the Baku City Circuit are differing from Monza, the issues Ferrari faced at their home GP could resurface during this weekend´s sunday session. Nevertheless, Leclerc remains confident about the Azerbaijan GP. Talking to Sky Italia, he identified Baku, Singapore and Las Vegas as potential races to score Ferrari´s first victory of the season.

All points considered, claiming pole position is well within reach as Leclerc is the quickest driver around Baku on paper. However, due to Ferrari´s lack of racing performance, the Monegasque could once again be caught up by his fate on Sunday.