Vettel, Norris, Sainz share thoughts after Monaco success and Azerbaijan GP expectations

While Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing dominated the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks ago, the trio of Sebastian Vettel, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr achieved success at the expense of Mercedes' failures. Valtteri Bottas was forced to retire from the race while Lewis Hamilton could only manage a seventh-place finish. Here is what Vettel, Norris and Sainz Jr had to say about their Monaco GP success as each driver looks forward to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix race this weekend.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix predictions: Sebastian Vettel reviews Monaco GP success and hopes Baku is another strong weekend

Life at Aston Martin has been difficult for Sebastian Vettel but the four-time Drivers' Champion has managed to turn his fortunes around in Monaco by finishing fifth to score his first points of the season. Despite qualifying eighth on the grid, Vettel managed to overcut both Hamilton and Pierre Gasly by pitting a few laps later to grab sixth place. With Bottas retiring from the race, Vettel was promoted to fifth.

Speaking of his Monaco Grand Prix success, Vettel said, "It was a good day, also to have both cars in the points. We have waited for that. A very important day for all of us, for the team and the guys. A good message also for everyone back in the factory. Monaco always has the potential to be a special race and it came our way this weekend."

The four-time Drivers' Champion hopes that he and the team can carry forward the same momentum to Azerbaijan. Speaking of the upcoming race in Baku, Vettel said, "It’s a long year. It was probably a question of time. Fifth for sure is a very strong result for us. We’ll take the points and hopefully we can be similarly strong in Baku."

Lando Norris insists McLaren not at the same level as Mercedes and Red Bull despite Monaco GP success

Considering many experts believed that the F1 2021 season will be a fight between Mercedes and Red Bull, Lando Norris has undoubtedly been the star performer in his McLaren. The British racer finished third at Monaco and is currently third in the 2021 Drivers' Championship standings. Despite these impressive performances, Norris insists that they have to be cautious when setting their targets.

Speaking of what can be expected in Baku, Norris said, "I think we can be confident and optimistic that we can go well; I don’t think we’ll be anything extraordinary. I’m expecting I think we’ve got a good plan. I think we’ve shown over the first five races that we have a good car on all the tracks but yes, I don’t know, I don’t think we can say we’ll be quicker than Mercedes or Red Bull but we’ll keep our heads down and try and see what we can do.”

Carlos Sainz Jr reflects on Ferrari's surprisingly quick pace in Monaco and explains what can be expected in Baku

Ferrari dominated the whole Monaco GP race weekend as Charles Leclerc earned his first pole position in Monaco. While Carlos Sainz Jr only managed to qualify fourth amid the red flag disruptions, he drove an outstanding race and finished second. Despite Ferrari's incredible pace in Monaco, Sainz suggests that it was just a one-off and that a similar pace cannot be expected in Baku.

Sainz said, "We know that that is still a bit of a weakness for us in terms of top speed and acceleration, so we know that that is going to put us immediately a bit on the back foot going into the weekend. But at the same time, if we manage to get the car working well in the slow corners like we did in Monaco, we can still maybe be decently competitive – nothing close to Monaco, because Monaco I think it's a bit of a one-off, a bit of a special case scenario, but we're still going to try and score some good points this weekend and keep improving as a team."

F1 fans will hope McLaren vs Ferrari battle continues in Baku 

After Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr's impressive performances in Monaco, an interesting McLaren vs Ferrari battle has emerged. McLaren head into the Baku weekend just two points ahead of fourth-placed rivals Ferrari in the Constructors' Standings with 80 points to Ferrari's 78. F1 fans will hope that the battle between the two former McLaren teammates will continue this weekend in Baku.