Charles Leclerc – Oscar Piastri, duel and laughter: fun exchange backstage in Baku
09/16/2024 05:10 PM
A two-man challenge
After a slow start, with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari seemingly destined to dominate the race at the Baku City Circuit, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix instead offered fans an exciting second half, especially marked by Oscar Piastri’s overtake on the Monegasque Ferrari driver and their duel, which lasted until a few laps before the race was interrupted by the Virtual Safety Car following the crash between the Ferrari SF-24 of Carlos Sainz and the Red Bull RB20 of Sergio Perez.
Charles Leclerc's constant attempts to attack in turn 1 and Piastri's effective defensive maneuvers entertained the fans, but the turning point of the race was the 'surprise' overtake by the McLaren driver on his direct rival at the start of the second stint. In the backstage area before the award ceremony, the two found themselves face to face, and while watching the race highlights, they had an interesting conversation.
Even Charles was a fan of Oscar’s move #F1#AzerbaijanGPpic.twitter.com/GrFmkOKSSz
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 15, 2024
Post-race analysis
With great sportsmanship, it was Charles Leclerc himself who first acknowledged the excellent move made by Oscar Piastri, who had tricked him by attacking from quite a distance: "Now you'll see his overtake, it's really nice," commented the Monza winner while chatting with George Russell, before Oscar Piastri joined them in the lounge. "I didn't think he'd go for it," admitted the Ferrari driver.
"To be honest, when I braked, I thought there was a 50% chance I wouldn't make the corner," the Australian driver acknowledged, talking later with his rival for the victory. "I was braking normally and saw you going inside – added Charles Leclerc – and I thought, 'he won't be able to release the brake.' In the end, I decided to let you pass, get the DRS, and try to retake the position. But it never happened." – the Ferrari driver added.
"There were ten laps where I thought it was going to happen. I was quite worried. When I found myself with a clear track ahead, I thought it would be easier," replied the Australian. The conversation ended with a burst of laughter at the images showing both drivers sliding at the last corner, in one of the most spectacular moments of the entire 2024 Formula 1 season.
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