Charles Leclerc returns to the race track for the first time since the disappointment of missing out on his maiden Grand Prix victory in Bahrain two weeks ago this weekend, with the Scuderia Ferrari driver aiming to make amends in Formula 1’s one-thousandth Grand Prix.
A technical issue onboard his SF90 denied Leclerc the win in Bahrain, with both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas easily finding their way ahead of him in the closing laps after dominating up until then, but the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit will offer the Monegasque racer his first opportunity at redemption, although his performance two weeks ago saw his stock rise within the sport.
“I don’t know the Shanghai track that well, having only raced there once, last year,” said Leclerc, who had the better of team-mate Sebastian Vettel throughout the weekend in Bahrain. “I have good memories of qualifying, less so of the race itself.
“But overall, I like the track a lot because there are many different types of corner that you don’t find elsewhere on the calendar, especially turn 1, and also 13 which leads onto the long straight.”
After his disappointing end to the race in Bahrain, Leclerc is hopeful that race one thousand can see Ferrari return to winning ways, and perhaps for him to take his first ever victory in Formula 1.
“Usually, the Chinese race is good fun, because the weather can be unpredictable and rain can arrive when you least expect it,” said the Monegasque racer. “It’s the thousandth race in the history of Formula 1 and I hope the car will be as good as it was in Bahrain, so that I can continue to go for the results we deserve.”
