For a fourth straight year, Charles Leclerc will start on pole for Sunday’s Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Leclerc wheeled his Ferrari around Baku City Circuit to earn the top spot ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.321 seconds.
“The pace was always there and then in qualifying and Q3 it was all about trying to stay as far as possible off the walls,” said polesitter Leclerc.
“In that last lap I went for it a bit more and the lap time came very nicely. The car felt really good and everything felt great so it’s amazing to be on pole.”
Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz starts third ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes driver George Russell.
“I have mixed emotions after qualifying, I think P2 was possible, but I lost a little bit in sector two and couldn’t put my perfect lap together, I also think Ferrari were super strong today,” Perez said. “We are on a very different strategy when it comes to downforce levels to most of the grid, we will see if that helps us tomorrow, definitely on the first stint I should be strong.
“From there it will be down to the amount of progress I am able to make and then, it will be head down and hopefully we are able to be strong in the race. As long as we are in the mix for the victory it should be a good weekend. I like this circuit, I have always done well here but I think it’s more that we are in a much better window than we have been for most of the season.
“The team is pushing in the right direction, we have a clear development direction and hopefully we can make another step for Singapore because we still need more.”
Championship hopeful Lando Norris was a shocking Q1 exit as he’ll start deep in the field in 17th following untimely traffic during his lap along with shunts on the curbs.
Points leader Max Verstappen, on the other hand, managed to qualify sixth on the grid.
Seven-time F-1 champion Lewis Hamilton starts seventh for Mercedes ahead of Fernando Alonso in eighth. Willams Racing made up the remaining top-10 positions with rookie Franco Colapinto (ninth) and Alexander Albon.
Haas F-1’s Oliver Bearman slotted into 11th while teammate Nico Hulkenberg locked down 14th.