Charles Leclerc claimed his fourth consecutive pole position after beating the two Red Bulls of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen in Azerbaijan.
His Ferrari team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr was on provisional pole as drivers began their final qualifying laps. But a mistake at turn two left him unable to improve.
That opened the door for Leclerc, who thundered to pole with a flying final effort. Sainz’s demise also allowed Perez and Verstappen to take second and third for Red Bull.
Q1
Track temperature was around 37C and dropping by the time the green light illuminated at the end of the pit lane to mark the start of the first qualifying session. Lando Norris led out a long queue of cars at the end of the pit lane with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari heading up the rear.
The two Red Bulls were fastest at the end of the first run, Max Verstappen two tenths of a second faster than Sergio Perez. Leclerc was third, Sainz fourth in the other Ferrari, before George Russell split the Ferraris to take fourth place. Sebastian Vettel became the first driver to venture down one of the many escape roads around the Baku circuit, locking up on the approach to turn three.
Leclerc’s second effort was an improvement and he went fastest with a 1’42.865, less than a tenth quicker than Verstappen. But that was quickly beaten by Perez and then Verstappen, putting Red Bull back on top.
Heading into the final five minutes, the drop zone consisted of the two Williams of Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi, Valtteri Bottas’s Alfa Romeo, Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin and Mick Schumacher’s Haas – the latter trio all slower than their team mates by at least a secopnd. Those in potential danger of being knocked down into elimination were Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton and – most in jeopardy – Kevin Magnussen in 15th.
Hamilton improved to go eighth-quickest, but Stroll’s chances of progressing appeared to be ruined when he locked up…
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