Charles Leclerc, showcasing his exceptional driving skills, claimed pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, marking a significant achievement for both him and Ferrari. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri will join him on the front row, but McLaren’s Lando Norris faced an unexpected setback, being eliminated in Q1 just as the team had pledged full support for his title bid. Meanwhile, Alex Albon and Williams are set to face the stewards due to an unusual airbox cooler incident.
Leclerc’s journey to pole was fraught with tension. He was under scrutiny from the stewards for possibly failing to slow under yellow flags during final practice. Fortunately, the stewards only issued a reprimand, allowing Leclerc to focus on the upcoming qualifying session.
Alpine managed to resolve the issues with Esteban Ocon’s fuel pump in time for qualifying, while Oliver Bearman’s Haas VF-24 was fully operational again after a crash in FP3.
The initial stages of Q1 saw Sergio Perez, a past master of the Baku City Circuit, take the lead with a time of 1:43.436. However, Max Verstappen struggled with his RB20, describing the car as “jumping around like crazy” and ultimately failed to improve beyond 7th place.
Leclerc then raised the stakes with a blistering 1:42.775, pushing George Russell into second place, 0.36 seconds behind. Meanwhile, Franco Colapinto’s impressive performance for Williams saw him climb to 6th, ahead of the McLarens. Verstappen narrowly avoided elimination, while Norris was caught out by yellow flags, leading to a disappointing exit from Q1—a tough blow for the Brit in a crucial weekend.
Norris was not alone in his misfortune; Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Ocon also faced elimination in Q1.
As Q2 commenced, Verstappen made the most of his fresh soft tires, clocking a 1:42.042 and setting a new benchmark. Russell, aiming to capitalize on the track’s evolving conditions, struggled to keep up. Leclerc, using new tires, put in a strong showing but was still edged out by Verstappen. Despite this, Leclerc expressed frustration at Ferrari for not providing a tow, which he felt could have improved his position.
Verstappen finished Q2 at the top, with Oliver Bearman, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, and Lance Stroll failing to advance. The final Q3 session promised an intriguing battle for pole, with Leclerc and Ferrari initially taking the lead. Verstappen, however, struggled with a slip at Turn 16, placing him in 6th.
Hamilton urged Mercedes to ensure their tires were properly warmed up as he sat in 7th, nearly a second behind Leclerc. Albon faced additional trouble with his Williams’ airbox fan cooler, but his final Q3 runs secured him a spot in the top ten despite an ongoing investigation by the stewards.
Ultimately, Leclerc clinched pole position with a remarkable lap time of 1:41.365, with Piastri securing the second spot. The final Q3 standings were as follows:
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:41.365
2. 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.321
3. 3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +0.440
4. 4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) – +0.448
5. 5. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.509
6. 6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – +0.658
7. 7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – +0.924
8. 8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +1.004
9. 9. Franco Colapinto (Williams) – +1.165
10. 10. Alexander Albon (Williams) – +1.494
The Q2 results were:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – 1:42.042
2. 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.014
3. 3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) – +0.221
4. 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.287
5. 5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +0.384
6. 6. Franco Colapinto (Williams) – +0.431
7. 7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +0.461
8. 8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.556
9. 9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – +0.723
10. 10. Alexander Albon (Williams) – +0.798
And the Q1 results featured:
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:42.775
2. 2. Alexander Albon (Williams) – +0.124
3. 3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.258
4. 4. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +0.313
5. 5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – +0.314
6. 6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – +0.322
7. 7. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) – +0.326
8. 8. Franco Colapinto (Williams) – +0.363
9. 9. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.364
10. 10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) – +0.438
F1 Fans Unleash Fury on Lando Norris
