Charles Leclerc 'trying to go for the win' on Sunday after losing out in the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP Sprint

Charles Leclerc will try his best to challenge the Red Bulls on Sunday after losing out to Sergio Perez in the 2023 Azerbaijan GP sprint race. The Monegasque started the race in pole position but was unable to hold off the charging Mexican driver.

Leclerc has completely dominated qualifying in Baku. The 25-year-old took his fourth qualifying win at the street circuit, making him a formidable opponent when it comes to one-lap pace.

However, given his challenger's high tire degradation over race distance, the Monegasque lost out to Perez, who started the sprint race in P2.

Charles Leclerc was able to keep Max Verstappen at bay over the course of the sprint race. However, it is still unclear whether Verstappen lost a significant amount of performance due to his collision with George Russell on the first lap of the 100-km race.

Speaking to Naomi Schiff in Parc Ferme after the race, Charles Leclerc said:

"It confirms a little bit what we thought that the Red Bull still has the upper hand in the race. But we still must not forget how far behind we were in race pace two races ago. We did a step forward. We are still not where we want to be."

He continued:

"And today there wasn't anything more so happy with the second place and will try and go for the win tomorrow even though the Red Bull seems quicker".

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Charles Leclerc's exit clause could mean premature departure from Ferrari

Charles Leclerc's current Ferrari contract contains an exit clause that permits him to leave the team before its completion if he fails to achieve a specific points tally by August.

Leclerc's 2023 season has not started well, with two DNFs and just six points from the initial three races, raising the possibility of his early departure from Ferrari. The Monegasque led the 2022 drivers' championship for a significant portion of the year before his push for a maiden world championship unraveled.

Expectations were high from Leclerc and the Scuderia this year, but their performances have been far from impressive. Ferrari had high hopes for their SF-23 car to be an improvement over the previous year's model and secure their first championship since 2007, but the car suffers from high tire degradation and drag, which has resulted in a worse performance than its predecessor.

Although Charles Leclerc is bound by his contract with Ferrari until the conclusion of the 2024 season, speculation is rife that he may utilize his exit clause to depart the team if he fails to meet the minimum points threshold. Red Bull's Helmut Marko has claimed that this clause was the reason behind Sebastian Vettel's departure from Red Bull and his subsequent move to Ferrari in 2015.

However, with the Monegasque seemingly in flying form in Baku, at least in qualifying, it remains to be seen how his season progresses. Leclerc will start Sunday's Azerbaijan GP from pole position.