Charles Leclerc secured pole position during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifiers, outperforming his teammate Carlos Sainz on the thrilling Baku street circuit. Lando Norris faced a sporting disaster, being eliminated early on and starting in a disappointing seventeenth place. Max Verstappen was unable to capitalize on this, finishing sixth.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifiers:
Q1: A Nightmare for Norris
It was a disaster for McLaren as Lando Norris was eliminated in Q1. He went out late and failed to improve his position. He was hindered by a yellow flag in sector 3 and also made a mistake, finishing in P17. Max Verstappen made it through, although he wasn’t having an easy time either. The Dutch driver expressed dissatisfaction with the RB20’s driving behavior multiple times. He advanced as number 6, behind others including Alex Albon, who finished a respectable second in the Williams. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) was the fastest. Guanyu Zhou was also eliminated, but due to a grid penalty (engine change), he was already starting from the back.
Q1 Eliminations: Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou, and Esteban Ocon
Q2: Colapinto Surprises
Verstappen showed significant improvement in Q2, leading from start to finish. The three-time world champion was closely followed by teammate Sergio Pérez in the early minutes, although Leclerc managed to squeeze between the Red Bull duo. In the final run of Q2, Franco Colapinto surprised everyone by beating Alex Albon in the Williams and seemingly easily qualifying for Q3. Oscar Piastri, who had to salvage McLaren’s race after Norris’s exit, only advanced as number 8.
Q2 Eliminations:
Eliminated in Q2: Oliver Bearman, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, Lance Stroll.
Q3: Four in a Row for Leclerc
Verstappen had a precarious moment in turn 16, needing to make a significant correction and ending up in sixth place after the first run in Q3. Ferrari led the pack with Leclerc and Sainz. Williams then forgot to remove a cooling element from Albon’s car, but once he had removed it himself, the final phase could begin. Could Verstappen, with a good second run, take pole position in Baku and thus take full advantage of Norris’s mishap? The answer: no. The Dutchman even finished sixth, behind Pérez. Pole position, for the fourth year in a row, went to Charles Leclerc.
The race starts on Sunday at 5.00 AM UST.
