#F1 #AzerbaijanGP Qualifying: @CharlesLeclerc storms to fourth-consecutive #BakuGP pole.

Leclerc Azerbaijan GP Pole – Charles Leclerc stormed to his 26^th-career pole position in an intense Azerbaijan GP qualifying at the Baku City Circuit as both championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris wounded up in sixth place and a low-17^th respectively with the latter suffering a botched Q1 exit.

This was Leclerc’s fourth-consecutive pole in Baku for Ferrari.

In Q3, Leclerc was the quickest in the initial flyers posting a purple in the second sector and with two personal bests to set a 1:41.610 and ahead of team-mate Sainz who posted a purple sector one with two personal bests to end up 0.205 off the Monegasque whilst Piastri with two personal bests and a purple final sector ended up a further 0.217 off the Ferrari driver.

In the final hot-laps, Leclerc managed to improve after taking another personal best in the opening sector and a purple sector two and set the pole time of a 1:41.365 as Piastri just fell short by 0.321 seconds with two personal bests, but suffered a snap of oversteer and tapping the wall at the penultimate corner meanwhile Sainz was a further 0.440 off his Ferrari team-mate in third.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez qualified a high-fourth outqualifying his team-mate Verstappen who ended up sixth whilst Mercedes’ George Russell split the pairing in fifth.

The other Silver Arrow of Sir Lewis Hamilton followed in seventh place and ahead of former team-mate Fernando Alonso who was eighth for Aston Martin.

Both Williams of Franco Colapinto and Alexander Albon completed the top ten as the former impressively made it into Q3 whilst the latter is currently under investigation for an unsafe release after the Thai-Briton still had the air fan attached to his FW46 as he exited the garage.

The Williams driver parked it on pit exit trying to take it out and managed to do so and gave it to the marshals but was unable to make it in time to start a final flying lap.

In the second segment, which was topped by Verstappen, a late improvement by Alonso eliminated MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Oliver Bearman by 0.128 seconds meaning the Briton will start 11^th in tomorrow’s Azerbaijan GP.

RB’s Yuki Tsunoda qualified 12^th and ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who took 13^th whilst The other Haas VF-24 entry of Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll were the slowest of the Q2 runners in 14^th and 15^th respectively.

In the opening qualifying stage, which was topped by Leclerc, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo missed out on a Q2 appearance by a slim 0.075 seconds as a result of track evolution and will start the Azerbaijan GP 16^th.

McLaren’s Lando Norris was the shock eliminate of the session wounding up 17^th after a scruffy hot-lap by sliding over the high turn 16 kerbs, before seeing his tour ruined by a yellow flag after seeing a slow-travelling Alpine of Esteban Ocon coasting home in a punctured A524 racer.

Norris aborted his lap and was forced to pit.

Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu (who will start tomorrow’s race from the pit-lane) took 18^th and 19^th in the session as Alpine’s Ocon brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2024/races/1245/azerbaijan/qualifying

2024 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying – The Top Three

2024 Azerbaijan GP Pole Position – Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, SF24 – 1:41.365:

“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season. The pace was always there, and in Q3 in that last lap I went for it a bit more and the lap time came nicely, the car felt really good, and it is amazing to be on pole. Normally the even side of the grid has less grip, so first and third is where you want to start. Tyre management will be a big thing tomorrow.”

2^nd Place – Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL38 – 0.321s:

“I got a bit closer to the walls, and on the last lap a little bit too close. This track rewards commitment. Just tried to maximise the car, which was feeling good all the way through. I think following around here will be really tough, so hopefully I can get some clean air, but I think our race pace is good. But the Ferraris are not slow.”

3^rd Place – Carlos Sainz, #55, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-24 – 0.440s:

“I think we had a solid quali, solid day and we have put ourselves in a good position for tomorrow. I’ve never been 100% hooked up here in my career, it’s a track I tend to struggle at. I found something going into Q3 that gave me more confidence, and I’m in a decent position for tomorrow. I’ve never been my best version of myself around here, but I think tomorrow we can be.”

2024 F1 World Championship Standings