Leclerc claims fourth consecutive Baku pole, Piastri second

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured his fourth straight pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by three-tenths of a second. Leclerc, fresh off his victory at Monza, continued his exceptional qualifying form, claiming the 26th pole of his career, despite never winning at the Baku circuit.

Carlos Sainz completed a strong session for Ferrari, qualifying third, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took fourth. Mercedes’ George Russell was fifth, with series leader and three-time world champion Max Verstappen only managing sixth in the second Red Bull as his struggles persisted.

Lando Norris, Verstappen’s closest title rival, suffered a disappointing qualifying session, ending up 17th. Verstappen now leads Norris by 62 points with eight races remaining.

Leclerc, who recovered from a crash in practice earlier in the weekend, was thrilled with the result. “It’s one of my favorite tracks. It hasn’t been an easy weekend, but I went for it in the last lap. It’s amazing to be on pole again!” he said.

The top ten was rounded out by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Williams’ Franco Colapinto, and his teammate Alex Albon.

(Source: AFP)