Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Pole in Leclerc

Sunny. Dry. Air +24C, route +37…32C

Qualifying in Baku is always interesting. Realizing that yellow or red flags can appear at any moment, the riders attack from the first minutes, but for a good result you have to avoid traffic and prepare tires, which is not always possible. So luck is also important.

There were no serious accidents during the training. On Friday, Charles Leclerc showed the best time, on Saturday morning Carlos Sainz led the protocol, but only qualifying put everything in place.

Practice 3 was postponed by 15 minutes to replace the TecPro barriers in the first corner after the accident at the end of the Formula 2 race. According to the regulations, a minimum of two hours must elapse between the end of practice and qualifying , so qualifying was also delayed by 15 minutes. Mercedes repaired damage to the undersides of both cars – and this break helped them.

In fast laps, the traditional Baku racers actively used the slipstream on the straight, taking turns accelerating each other – or sitting behind the opponent.

In the first session riders worked in a series of laps, alternating between fast and slow. Vettel drove into the safety pocket of the third corner – and moved on.

In the first attempt, Leclerc set the fastest time with a time of 1:42.865, but Verstappen switched tires and was faster – 1:42.722.

In the 14th minute, after a braking error, Stroll punctured the barrier slightly in the seventh corner and entered the pits. A few seconds later the session was interrupted by red flags – Lance had another accident and crashed into the guardrail already in the second corner. The wrecked car had to be towed.

The break lasted 10 minutes, then the fight continued. There were still two and a half minutes until the end of the session, the drivers lined up in advance in the pit lane to have time to start a fast lap, but the tires had cooled down. Verstappen, Pérez, Leclerc, Sainz, Vettel and Ocon gave up.

Yellow flags appeared in the final seconds as Alonso drove into the safety pocket. It seemed to Albon, who was following him, that the Spaniard was doing it on purpose.

Verstappen’s time was the best, with Magnussen, Albon, Latifi, Stroll and Schumacher out of the fight.

In the second session many initially rode on coiled tires and left a new set for a second try. Only the Red Bull Racing drivers and Vettel had fresh tires right away – rescued in the first session. In the first attempt Sainz showed the best time – 1:42.08. Leclair slipped a bit – and he lost the tenth and showed the second.

Vettel punctured a protective barrier due to problems with the brakes – and went to the pits to check the car.

On the second attempt, Perez first led the scoresheet with 1:41.955, Leclerc lightly hit the barrier with the left front wheel and remained second. Verstappen hit the wall with a left back and went to the pits to check.

From the further battle fell: Norris, Riccardo, Okon, Zhou and Bottas. Zhou was ahead of a teammate for the first time this season.

In the final Sainz set a new benchmark – 1:41.814, Leclerc made another small mistake, attacked at the limit, lost 500th and remained second. Perez hooked the barrier with the left front wheel, but was the same five hundredths ahead of Verstappen.

On the second attempt, Vettel returned to the pits and broke the circle. Sainz did not improve and Leclerc led the protocol with 1:41.359. In the closing seconds, Perez was ahead of his partner and showed the second time.

†

Charles Leclerc won qualifying in Baku to take sixth pole of the season and 15th of his career. Leclerc and Perez take the front row of the grid, Verstappen and Sainz – the second, Russell and Gasly – the third.

The race gets interesting!

Qualification Results