Max Verstappen Extends Lead as Ferrari Blunder Erases Charles Leclerc’s Advances on Updated F1 Drivers Leaderboard

The 2022 Formula 1 season brought with it bucket loads of excitement in the form of regulation changes. It gave teams a chance to have a clean slate, start fresh and shake up the pecking order. And they did just that, with Ferrari making the early rounds completely their own while the other teams still came to terms with their new machinery.

This start by Ferrari allowed Charles Leclerc to race into an early lead in the drivers’ standings. However, it appears as if the Ferrari train has run out of steam as the last couple of rounds have seen the Red bull duo of Perez and Verstappen slowly reel Charles in and get ahead of him in the standings.

The latest round in Azerbaijan has once again shaken up the standings and not in favor of the Italian team. An entertaining race in Baku saw multiple retirements which has given Red Bull and Verstappen the upper hand in the title fight.

The streets of Baku see Verstappen extend the lead

It is always an interesting watch when F1 cars zoom around the narrow streets of Baku. This season provided more of the same with multiple incidents. It saw the likes of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both retire due to power unit problems. This has seen Leclerc’s early lead evaporate.

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Further retirements in the Azerbaijan GP involved Kevin Magnussen of Haas, Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. This result has swung the driver’s championship in Red Bull’s favor as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez now sit atop the standings.

The Dutchman now leads the driver’s standings with 150 points. The race in Baku also sees his teammate Sergio Perez move into the second spot with 129 points. They both are now ahead of Charles Leclerc, who sits in 3rd with 116 points.

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The rest of the top 10 remains relatively unchanged with only one new addition in the form of Pierre Gasly who sits level of points with Fernando Alonso.

The next round in Canada will be crucial for Ferrari and Leclerc if they hope to remain in contention for the drivers’ title this season. With more than half the season still to go, it will be fascinating to see how this title race pans out.