Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured his fourth consecutive pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, continuing his dominant form on the Baku City Circuit. The Monegasque driver, fresh off victories in Monaco and Monza, outpaced McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by three-tenths of a second to clinch the top spot on the grid for Sunday’s race.
Despite claiming pole positions in Baku in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Leclerc has yet to win at the Azerbaijani street circuit. This year, however, he hopes to change that narrative.
Leclerc’s Determination After Qualifying Drama
In a highly competitive qualifying session, Leclerc clocked a best lap time of 1:43.365, earning him his 26th career pole position. His pole run came amidst drama, with title contender Lando Norris being knocked out in Q1, qualifying 16th. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, the reigning three-time world champion and current series leader, only managed to secure sixth on the grid.
“It feels amazing to be on pole again,” said Leclerc. “The car felt fantastic today. I love this track, and although we’ve had challenges this weekend—especially with my crash in FP1—I never lost confidence. I knew our pace was strong.”
Leclerc added that the key to his successful lap was staying cautious in the earlier stages of qualifying before pushing hard in Q3. “I kept it clean until the final lap, and then went for it—everything came together perfectly.”
Ferrari in a Strong Position
Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, also performed well, securing third place on the grid behind Piastri. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took fourth, followed by George Russell in fifth, while Verstappen settled for sixth. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified seventh for Mercedes, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Williams rookie Franco Colapinto, who surprised many by outpacing his teammate Alex Albon.
Leclerc is hopeful that Ferrari’s strong qualifying form will translate into race success this weekend, noting the improvements made to their race pace. “We’ve been fast in qualifying here before, but this year we have a stronger race car. I’m hopeful we can convert this into a win. Tyre management will be crucial, as always.”
Sainz, despite qualifying third, admitted to struggling on the Baku track in previous years but remains optimistic. “I’ve never felt completely dialed in here, but we’re in a strong position, and my race pace has been solid. It’s all to play for tomorrow.”
Perez and Red Bull Prepared for the Challenge
Sergio Perez, who enjoys racing on the Baku City Circuit, will start in fourth and is expected to be a strong contender, especially with his teammate Verstappen starting from sixth. Perez has previously excelled in Azerbaijan, and Red Bull will be counting on him to push for a podium finish.
Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly faced disappointment as his Alpine was disqualified for a fuel flow violation, relegating him from 13th to 20th on the grid.
As the race day approaches, all eyes are on Charles Leclerc and Ferrari to see if they can finally convert pole position into victory on the streets of Baku.
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