Ferrari reliability problems could wreck a promising Formula One season for Charles Leclerc

Ferrari went into Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix with hope for the race and the rest of the season to come, but left with disappointment and a sense of foreboding. The main disappointment of course is with Charles Leclerc.

The young Monegasque appeared to be on the cusp of a breakout season and early on seemed to be a potential championship winner as he racked up the wins while Red Bull struggled to get their setup right. Ad/> After a low point at Monaco — a race that is easier to win from the front than anywhere else — a pole position in Baku looked to be a surprise with their Austrian rivals quicker in FP3.

Azerbaijani Grand PrixVerstappen celebrates 'incredible pace' of Red Bull at Baku4 HOURS AGO Nevertheless, Leclerc looked primed to succeed where he had recently failed, and with no race in the history of Baku having seen the lead change hands, there were immediate problems. Sergio Perez dashed into pole at the first corner but Leclerc persisted and at the start of lap 20, he was a credible contender for the win once again.

He had a fresh set of hard tyres and held the lead, but an engine failure saw him pull off limply into the pits. That had followed team-mate Carlos Sainz’s even earlier retirement with a hydraulics problem, with the Spaniard enduring another miserable season due to the Italian team’s failure to provide their drivers with a reliable vehicle.

Verstappen wins in Baku to extend lead, Leclerc retires due to engine failure Verstappen celebrates 'incredible pace' of Red Bull at Baku Sainz bemoans 'incredibly unlucky' Ferrari as team principal admits cars are not reliable If it were a one-off, that would be one thing, but Sainz has three DNFs, and Leclerc two. If that continues for the last two-thirds of