How Ferrari's latest implosion stitched up a plausible Baku upset

By:

Matt Kew

Jun 13, 2022, 10:30 AM

Ferrari wasn't expected to be capable of challenging Red Bull on the streets of Baku, but Charles Leclerc took pole for the second year in a row and had assumed the lead when his engine expired. That left Max Verstappen and Red Bull doubly grateful as not only were its blushes spared, but it came away with a 1-2 and extended advantages in both championship standings

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Charles Leclerc might have hoped a first-corner lock-up would create the only unwelcome puff of smoke to emanate from his Ferrari in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Sadly not. Just 19 laps later, clouds erupted out of the back of his car as the engine self-immolated to mark the third win squandered by the team in as many races. That paved the way for Max Verstappen to capture a fifth triumph of the term as Sergio Perez completed a bruising 1-2 for Red Bull.

Ferrari was expected to play second fiddle in Baku, with the flat-out final sector seemingly tailor-made for the top-speed punch of the rebadged Honda power unit that complemented the RB18’s slimline rear wing. Had the target therefore been effective damage limitation for the Scuderia, few would have batted an eyelid. Then it became clear an upset was very much on the cards, thanks to Leclerc’s one-lap credentials and projected race pace.

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Matt Kew

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Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.

How Ferrari's latest implosion stitched up a plausible Baku upset

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