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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75
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Special feature

Why Leclerc could be only three laps short of a Baku F1 upset

Circuits with high top speeds have generally been Red Bull's speciality so far this season but in the opening pair of practice sessions at Baku, Ferrari closed out Friday's running on top with a good straightline speed advantage. But with Red Bull rival Max Verstappen out of sync in his practice runs, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc may not have seen his best.

A street circuit defined by its high speeds and a huge flat-out sprint that comes to dominate the second half of the lap. That’s surely Red Bull territory in 2022, based on the Formula 1 race-winning form the team displayed in Jeddah and then Miami.

Thanks to the might of the rebadged Honda power unit during the first third of the season, Red Bull has had the measure of chief championship rival Ferrari in the top speed stakes. No surprise then the RB18 was unloaded in Baku as the favourite for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

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