The analysis of qualifications
All good things come in threes Charles Leclerc in Baku. The Monegasque Ferrari driver, at the center of numerous market rumors, took pole position in qualifying for the Azerbaijan GP and will start from the first position on the grid on Sunday. An extraordinary result for the #16 of the red, who confirms himself as a master on the difficult and very fast Azeri track. The world champion and world leader will start next to him Max Verstappen, detached from Leclerc by 188 thousandths. Third place for Sergio Perez, with the second Red Bull, which will share the second row with the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. To interview the first three was Mark Webber.
Charles Leclerc (1st, Ferrari)
“Pole? I’m surprised. We came here thinking it would be a very positive weekend if we stayed ahead of Aston and Mercedes in qualifying. In the end we are on pole, so it’s really a positive surprise. We mustn’t forget that in the race we may still be behind the Red Bulls, so it will be difficult to keep the lead, but that’s the goal. It was a very busy weekend for us riders, because there was only one free practice to test. Then you had to be right on track. But the feeling was good right from the start. Tomorrow? It will be challenging, especially in middle school. We will only have one set, there is no margin for error. The pace seems strong, we hope to learn in Q1 and Q2 and then push in Q3″.
Max Verstappen (2nd, Red Bull)
“Here it’s always hard to put the whole lap together. In the last attempt we tried something different on the preparation lap and it wasn’t ideal for the final time. Q3 is done to the limit, trying to do everything perfectly, but it’s not easy at all. However we are second and we know we have a very good car in the race. Overall it’s not bad, but you always want to start at the front. This time we will have to pass a driver. New format? We’ll see what we can do tomorrow. Tonight we will try to find something to do better. Overall the most important thing is to stay clean. It’s very easy to make mistakes here and that’s what we want to avoid.”
Sergio Perez (3rd, Red Bull)
“The session in Q1 was very complicated due to the many red flags. We kept the same set of tires as we didn’t want to waste any more in Q1, so it was difficult to warm them up and get through without making a mistake. The team did a great job, it was a really demanding session. I’m a bit disappointed with third place, because I thought I had something more to give. My ride wasn’t too clean. But if there is a race in which you can overcome it is this one. Leclerc? We knew Ferrari would be strong, they are very efficient. They are the biggest threat to us, I think Charles has had a fantastic ride ”.
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