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Back on the podium: Leclerc redeems himself at the Austrian GP

Image Commercially Licensed from: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-car-driving-on-a-race-track-with-a-sky-background-ITl1tev7bcQ
Image Commercially Licensed from: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-car-driving-on-a-race-track-with-a-sky-background-ITl1tev7bcQ

In a tumultuous 2023 F1 season for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, they finally had a promising result as the talented driver earned a spot on the Austrian Grand Prix podium at P2. This is Leclerc’s redemption from his performance at the Canadian Grand Prix where he shockingly finished in P11.

The only driver who beat him at this race is F1 standings leader, Max Verstappen. Leclerc was the only one who stood a chance against Max in this race but the Dutchman was too much to handle. 

Verstappen is safe at the top of the F1 standings but Leclerc has proven to be a fantastic choice for bettors who want to make crypto bets for Formula 1 due to his confidence shooting up. This is a promising sign for the rest of the season because if he does this, he might steal a race or two. 

Redemption from an abysmal Canadian GP performance

The season was disappointing for both Ferrari and Leclerc because they are seen as the best contenders to Red Bull’s dominance with Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. They hit rock bottom during the Canadian Grand Prix when Leclerc uncharacteristically finished in 11th place. 

That disappointing performance was due to a mix of Ferrari’s failures to accommodate Leclerc and the Monegasque’s refusal to put pressure on his team. Leclerc asked for accountability from his team after the Canadian GP which led to better results in Austria.

Leclerc is pushing for further improvement from Ferrari 

Leclerc showed frustration at his team’s mistakes during the Canadian GP. The main issue during that race was the inter tires on a dry track hampered Charles’ speed and turns. 

After that race, Leclerc was clear about his frustration with the situation. He said, ‘We will again discuss this with the team, but we need to do a step forward now because it’s not the first time that it happens. We are quite often in the wrong side of making those decisions in those tricky situations. I had a clear opinion and intuition and we went for something opposite’.

The Austrian GP was a return to form for Leclerc and Ferrari

Coming from the Canadian GP, it was surprising to see Leclerc in much better form. He wanted that because he was motivated to bounce back from such a disappointing result. Ferrari helped him get there as they made smart decisions to accommodate Charles’ needs on the track. 

Ferrari made some new upgrades to the car which gave Leclerc a smooth and superb racing experience. That was evident with Charles making sharp turns but staying on course with his speed. It was a classic Charles Leclerc performance and a return to matching the hype and expectation for him. 

A sign of better results moving forward

Now that Leclerc is more confident in his team, you can expect better results for him and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz. The latter had a strong performance but he exceeded track limits during Turns 9 and 10 which demoted his P4 finish to P6. 

If Ferrari can continue to improve the cars they’re driving, Charles might have a chance to compete with Verstappen at the highest level. He already showed he can compete with Max in previous years but if Ferrari can help him build consistency, the Verstappen era might end earlier than expected. 

Leclerc will be the primary Ferrari driver you should watch out for. With better results coming in for Leclerc, he has regained his reputation as a top choice for crypto bets for Formula 1. Capitalise on his rising stock because he has proven he’s back at his most competitive level.

 

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