Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Report
Ferrari restarts from the top. After the memorable victory in Monza Charles Leclerc he also takes pole position in Baku, his fourth consecutive on this track. A golden moment for the Monegasque, who at this point can also think about a comeback in the championship, given the disappointing results of Verstappen (only 6th, with teammate Perez 4th) and Norris (even eliminated in Q1). He will start alongside him in tomorrow’s GP Oscar Platesin what looks like a rematch of the Italian GP. Second row and third position for Carlos Sainz, with the second red single-seater. Fifth instead George Russell, the best among the Mercedes drivers.
The words of the top 3
Charles Leclerc (1st, Ferrari): “This is one of my favourite tracks of the whole season. It wasn’t an easy weekend, the accident in FP1 forced me to recover a bit of pace. In FP2 we had problems with a new part we had brought and we lost another half an hour there. I wasn’t worried, but I knew we had to recover. The pace was always there and in qualifying, in Q3 we just had to stay away from the walls. On the last lap I attacked more and the time came naturally. The car gave me a good feeling and it’s fantastic to be on pole. 1st and 3rd is the best result we could hope for. The even side of the grid is where there is less grip, so 1st and 3rd are the best positions. Hopefully we can play our cards to win. In the past we were very strong in qualifying and struggled in the race. This year the car is good, let’s hope we can do it tomorrow. Tyre management? It will be very important tomorrow too. We did a great job in Monza and we will have to do the same here. We will do our homework tonight so we can be ready tomorrow.”
Oscar Piastri (2nd, McLaren): “I got really close to the wall and on the last lap I got too close. I tried to make the most of my car. This is a track that rewards risk and extra effort. I had little to lose. I felt good and I’m happy with my Q3. Will I have a winning race pace? Starting from second place, yes, but following the front runners here is quite difficult. I hope to have clean air and a clear track ahead.”
Carlos Sainz (3rd, Ferrari): “I think we had a solid day with both cars. We put ourselves in a very good position for tomorrow. I have never felt 100% comfortable on this track. I usually struggle here, so P3 is good for tomorrow. The pace looks strong, so there is a lot at stake for the race. The track was evolving a lot and towards the end we also had more grip because of the setting sun. In Q3 I found something that gave me more confidence. The top-3 is a decent position for tomorrow. An all-Ferrari front row? It was possible, but I have never been at my best here. But tomorrow we could do it. [doppietta]”.
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