While the Monza winner confidently secured first place on the grid for Sunday’s race (1 p.m./ServusTV, RTL, Sky) in the Formula 1 qualifying in Baku on Saturday, ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (+0.321 sec.) and Carlos Sainz (+0.440) in the second Ferrari, the two World Championship favorites Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Lando Norris (McLaren) slipped up.
World Championship leader Verstappen finished sixth (+0.658), two places behind his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez (+0.448), who was faster than the Dutchman in the time trial for the first time this season. World Championship pursuer Norris, on the other hand, suffered a severe setback, starting from 17th place after the Briton was apparently slowed down by a yellow flag in the first qualifying session.
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“The car is good. We may not be quite as fast as Ferrari, but it is certainly close between us, Red Bull and Ferrari,” said Norris on ServusTV, visibly frustrated. On the street circuit in Baku, where there have been many accidents and interruptions in the past, the 24-year-old must start a catch-up race. “We have to wait and see, it is not that easy to overtake. We have to keep our fingers crossed that everything goes according to plan and that we have a good strategy.”
Leclerc was certainly satisfied after his 26th pole. “It’s one of my favorite tracks,” said the Monegasque, who had “not had an easy weekend” after his crash in the first practice session. “But I haven’t lost my confidence. I also couldn’t do as many laps as I wanted. But the pace was always there. It will be a hard and long race.” In the past, Leclerc was never able to convert pole position in Baku into a win. “I think we’re stronger in the race this year,” he stressed.
Trouble at Red Bull
There was some anger at Red Bull Racing over a missed opportunity. “It’s annoying because Max lost six tenths on his first lap in turn 16. That would have been enough for P2,” said Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko. The speed is now back in the car, added the Styrian, who was optimistic about Sunday. “It doesn’t look too bad, especially with Lando Norris’ starting position. When Ferrari wins, it’s always good. Our first opponent is Lando, we should have him under control. I’m sure we’ll move up a bit.”
Before the final third of the season, the situation in the World Championship battle became significantly more tense. Verstappen has been waiting for a win for six races, and his lead over Norris has shrunk to 62 points with eight races and three sprints to go before the end of the season. If necessary, Norris will also benefit from a team order on Sunday, although his teammate will start much further ahead.
In the constructors’ championship, McLaren could already take the lead in Azerbaijan, the traditional British team is only eight points behind the recently struggling Austrian racing team. However, Red Bull Racing has been very successful on the street circuit on the Caspian Sea in recent years, Verstappen triumphed in 2022, and Perez is even the Baku record winner with his two victories last year and in 2021.
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Formula 1 Qualifying in Baku: Monza Winner Takes Pole Position, Verstappen and Norris Slip Up
The Formula 1 qualifying session in Baku saw a surprise winner, with the Monza winner taking pole position ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari. Meanwhile, World Championship favorites Max Verstappen and Lando Norris suffered setbacks, finishing sixth and 17th respectively.
Verstappen’s Disappointing Qualifying Session
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the current World Championship leader, had a disappointing qualifying session, finishing sixth with a time of +0.658 seconds behind the pole sitter. This was a rare occurrence, as Verstappen has been dominating the qualifying sessions this season. His teammate Sergio Perez, on the other hand, had a better qualifying session, finishing fourth with a time of +0.448 seconds behind
