Red Bull Hail Charles Leclerc as the ‘Number 1’ Ferrari F1 Driver Amidst Dominant Start to 2022

Red Bull had a tough start this season after the double DNF in Bahrain. However, they redeemed their unfortunate season-opener loss with the victory in Jeddah. The Austrian constructor had a tough fight with the Prancing Horse in both the races, especially with Charles Leclerc, whom Red Bull sees as the Ferrari ace.

The Italian F1 team has been fighting for the third-place finish for the past few years alongside McLaren. Meanwhile, Red Bull competed against Mercedes for championship titles. But this season, there are few changes like the Silver Arrows nowhere near the competition in the front and Ferrari is competing against the Austrian constructor for the championship.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that the Italian giants have a strong line-up this season, but Charles Leclerc is their ace. The 24-year-old Monégasque has been phenomenal this season so far. He even gave a hard time to the Red Bull driver and the reigning champion Max Verstappen.

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“Last year Sainz beat Leclerc, but this year Leclerc is in top form. That means we can’t expect any support from Sainz,” Marko stated. “So it will be a situation like ours, where there is a very clear number 1 pilot.” (quotes translated using Google Translate)

Red Bull is happy with their Italian rivals

The Milton Keynes base has been fighting against the eight-time world champion Mercedes for the past few years. So, Red Bull is excited to have a new rival Ferrari this season to compete.

The Italians are dominating since the pre-season and their 2022 challenger is impressive and at par with Red Bull’s RB18. Hence, the Austrian team is enjoying the healthy competition from the Prancing Horse. “We have a competitive relationship, but with sporting rules. And that’s not only noticeable with the drivers, but also in the technical coordination or design,” Marko reported. “You can exchange ideas with Ferrari. It’s pleasant.”

The Ferrari duo dominated the season opener and had a 1-2 victory, while the Red Bull duo had to retire due to suspected fuel pump issues with their RB18. However, the Milton Keynes-based team outperformed the Italians in the Saudi Arabian GP. Sergio Perez qualified for pole in the Jeddah qualifying. However, Checo couldn’t keep the lead because of an unfortunate pit stop. But Max Verstappen redeemed his failure in Bahrain and won the second race of the season.

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The fight between the two teams is interesting and both will again face each other in Melbourne next week. Let’s see who will take the victory in the Australian GP. Would it be Red Bull or Ferrari? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.