Verschoor pips Antonelli to pole as bizarre brake problem halts Hadjar · RaceFans

Richard Verschoor pipped Andrea Kimi Antonelli to feature race pole in Baku after Isack Hadjar crashed out of qualifying..

The championship leader suffered an apparent brake problem in the final ten minutes of qualifying, sending him into the turn one barriers. Bizarrely, his Campos team mate Pepe Marti suffered an identical failure seconds later.

Verschoor, who had been fastest throughout the session, was one of the last over the line at the chequered flag and denied Antonelli by 0.017s. Victor Martins claimed third.

After drivers had found extremely low grip around the tricky Baku street circuit in their sole practice session, it was only natural that drivers gradually built up their pace over the course of the 30 minutes of qualifying.

Verschoor set the initial pace ahead of Alpine junior Martins after the first run. The pair then both improved with their second attempts, but remained in the same order.

Mercedes 2025 F1 driver Antonelli, determined to make a good impression with Prema team mate Oliver Bearman racing for Haas this weekend, went third, four tenths of a second behind Verschoor.

After a lull, drivers headed out with under ten minutes remaining for what was intended to be their final run of the session. However the session was stopped soon afterwards by the strange incident involving the two Campos drivers.

The pair climbed out of their cars unharmed with the session paused for several minutes due to barrier repairs. When the session resumed just under five minutes remaining, there was only time for one final flying lap for the field.

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Almost every driver improved with their final effort of the session, with Antonelli appearing to be on course for pole at the chequered flag. But then Verschoor leapt up to snatch pole away from him with his final lap by just 0.017s.

Martins took third on the grid for Sunday’s feature race, ahead of Zane Maloney, Kush Maini and Gabriel Bortoleto. Joshua Duerksen was seventh ahead of Gabriele Mini in his first F2 qualifying session and Jack Crawford. Christian Mansell, another debutant, will start his first F2 race from reverse-grid pole after qualifying tenth.

Championship leader Hadjar ended up in 15th after his crash, but is at risk of losing that time for causing the red flag. He will also be investigated over a pit lane infraction after qualifying.

Formula 2 Azerbaijan qualifying results