Leclerc a champion in the making? Hamilton, Max demand more

Charles Leclerc has admitted he is starting to sense his first F1 championship push after storming out of the blocks in 2022, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen demanding more from their teams ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna GP to get their title bids back on track.

Winning two of the season's opening three races, Leclerc has enjoyed a superb start in a newly-competitive Ferrari and already has a 34-point championship lead as the sport heads to Imola, a home race for the Tifosi.

All the action - with the return of the Sprint on Saturday (3.30pm) the ideal preparation for Sunday's Grand Prix (2pm) - is live on Sky Sports F1.

While it's too soon for title predictions ahead of a fourth race of an expected 23 and with the teams' development race set to heat up, the near-perfect start for Leclerc and Ferrari has made him the early favourite, particularly given the relative struggles of his expected closest rivals.

Leclerc's nearest challenger is currently George Russell in the Mercedes, with last year's championship protagonists Hamilton and Verstappen only fifth and sixth in the standings with both pace and reliability concerns.

Leclerc's talent has been clear over three years in Ferrari, but this may be the first season where he has a car that can consistently contend towards the front. Something which, understandably, brings a smile to his face.

"Obviously we only had the third race, so it's difficult to think about the championship, but to be honest, we've got a very strong car, a very reliable car too," said Leclerc after winning the Australian GP.

"We've always been there, so I hope it continues like this and if it does, then we probably have chances for the championship, which obviously makes me smile after