Charles Leclerc secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive year on Saturday, outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Leclerc, who recently won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, continued his strong single-lap performance, finishing three-tenths of a second ahead of Piastri. This pole marks the 26th of Leclerc's career, although he has yet to secure a win at this particular circuit.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz qualified third, followed by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in fourth and Mercedes’ George Russell in fifth. Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion and current series leader, struggled again, placing sixth in the second Red Bull. Verstappen maintains a 62-point lead over McLaren's Lando Norris, who had a disappointing 17th-place qualification.
Leclerc expressed his excitement about his pole position, noting that despite a challenging weekend with a crash in practice and issues with a new part, he was pleased with his performance. “It’s amazing to be on pole again,” said Leclerc, highlighting the track as one of his favorites of the season.
The qualifying session began under slanting sunshine, with Mercedes opting for medium tires initially before switching to softs as conditions improved. Leclerc set a top time of 1:42.775, while Norris was eliminated in Q1, marking his first Q1 exit since the Las Vegas race last year. In the final top-ten shootout, Leclerc’s final lap of 1:43.365 secured him pole, despite a bizarre moment when Alex Albon’s Williams car was seen with an airbox fan still attached, which was later removed by the driver.
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