Azerbaijan GP....after disqualification + engine penalty.

Azerbaijan GP….after disqualification + engine penalty. Read more

Ferrari’s remarkable form in the 2024 Formula 1 season continued as Charles Leclerc claimed his fourth consecutive Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole position in Baku. The Monegasque driver, fresh from a victory at the Italian Grand Prix, stormed to his third pole of the year, setting a blistering lap time in Q3 that beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.321 seconds. Leclerc’s pace highlighted Ferrari’s resurgence as the team aims to mount a serious challenge for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships this season.

Leclerc’s pole marked a crucial victory for Ferrari in their ongoing battle with Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes. While Leclerc will lead the field, Piastri’s second-place finish in qualifying is also a notable achievement, with the Australian showing strong form for McLaren. This result puts Piastri in a prime position to challenge for his first career win in Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz will start third on the grid, completing a strong showing for Ferrari. The Spaniard has been in solid form throughout the weekend and will look to capitalize on his teammate’s pole by scoring valuable points in the race.

Sergio Perez, a two-time Azerbaijan Grand Prix winner, qualified fourth for Red Bull, ending a remarkable run of 33 race weekends where he had been outqualified by teammate Max Verstappen. Perez’s pace in Baku was enough to put him on the second row of the grid, and he will be a key contender for the win, especially given his strong history at the circuit.

Meanwhile, Verstappen, the championship leader, struggled to find his usual dominant form and will start from sixth. The Dutch driver had hoped for a stronger qualifying result but now faces the challenge of navigating through the midfield if he is to defend his championship lead.

Mercedes had a mixed result in qualifying, with George Russell taking fifth place despite a minor incident involving a potential yellow flag infringement, for which he was reprimanded but not penalized. Russell’s strong performance ensures that Mercedes remains competitive at the sharp end of the grid.

Lewis Hamilton, who has won in Baku in the past, will start from seventh. The seven-time world champion has struggled to match his teammate in qualifying this season but will be looking to make up ground during the race. Hamilton will share the fourth row with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who lines up eighth.

One of the surprise performances came from Williams rookie Franco Colapinto, who qualified ninth in just his second Formula 1 weekend. The Argentine driver has impressed many with his speed and composure, especially at a circuit as challenging as Baku, where the tight corners and long straights can catch out even the most experienced drivers. Colapinto will be aiming for a strong points finish in the race, especially after Williams scored only their third points finish of the season at the previous race in Italy.

His teammate, Alex Albon, also reached Q3 but encountered a bizarre issue when a cooling fan was accidentally left in his car’s airbox as he left the pits for his final qualifying run. Though Albon was able to remove the fan and continue, he missed out on setting a second lap and will start from 10th. Williams was fined €5000 by the stewards for the incident, but Albon escaped further penalties as the stewards deemed his actions prevented a yellow flag situations.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly initially qualified 13th, but his car was later disqualified from the session after exceeding the fuel mass flow limit. Despite Alpine’s claims that the infraction provided no performance advantage, the stewards enforced the regulation, dropping Gasly to 19th on the grid. This promotes several drivers, including McLaren’s Lando Norris, who struggled in qualifying and will start from 16th.

Zhou Guanyu of Sauber also faced a setback, taking penalties for using a third energy store and control electronics. As a result, Zhou will start from the back of the grid, alongside Gasly.

Starting Grid for Azerbaijan GP 2024

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

9. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

10. Alex Albon (Williams)

With penalties shaking up the grid, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises to be an unpredictable and exciting race. Can Leclerc hold onto his pole position advantage, or will the likes of Piastri, Perez, and Verstappen make their way to the front? The streets of Baku are set for a thrilling battle.