Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Qualifying: Charles Leclerc on pole, Lando Norris misses out, Colapinto impresses
Qualifying rounds full of surprises: Norris eliminated in Q1, Leclerc secures his 4th consecutive pole position in Baku, and Franco Colapinto stands out. Discover the full summary of these sessions.
After eventful free practice sessions, marked by numerous incidents and red flags, it is time for the purest exercise of Formula 1: qualifying.
The Q1
The disappointment of this first qualifying session is the elimination of Lando Norris, who made a mistake at turn 16 following a yellow flag. The British driver, who seemed to be below the pace of his teammate, will start in 17th position, seriously compromising his race for the drivers’ world championship title.
On the contrary, the good surprise of this Q1 is the impressive pace of the Williams. Both drivers were very fast on this track, with Alex Albon managing to place his car in 2nd position, while Colapinto, reassured after his accident during free practice, secured a solid 8th place.
Kick Sauber has decided to replace the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Energy Storage Unit (ES) on Zhou Guanyu’s car, relegating him to the back of the grid for tomorrow.
On the French side, at Alpine, Pierre Gasly achieves a great performance by finishing 4th with a surprisingly high pace, while Esteban Ocon finishes last in this Q1.
The best time of this Q1 is set by Charles Leclerc, who sets the first benchmark time with a lap time of 1:42.775.
The eliminated: Ricciardo, Norris, Bottas, Zhou and Ocon.
The Q2
The Red Bulls showed pace during this Q2. Max Verstappen was untouchable by setting the fastest lap with a time of 1:42.042, pushing the competition back thanks to a flawless performance. His teammate, Sergio Pérez, also did well, finishing the session in third place. Although he is two tenths behind Verstappen, Pérez shows a solid pace highlighting the overall competitiveness of the Red Bull team on this track. The two drivers are therefore well positioned to approach the rest of qualifying with confidence.
Williams confirms its good performance in Q1 by registering both cars in Q3. Franco Colapinto shone in this second part of the qualifying session, finishing in a remarkable 6th place. He was able to stand out and outperform his teammate, who achieved the 10th best time.
Lance Stroll encountered serious difficulties with his Aston Martin, displaying performances well below those of his teammate. In contrast, Fernando Alonso delivered a remarkable performance by finishing 5th in Q2, once again highlighting the difference in competitiveness between the two drivers of the team.
Although Oliver Bearman was eliminated in Q2, he delivered a strong performance by finishing in 11th place, ahead of Nico Hülkenberg, who finished in 14th position. This achievement highlights Bearman’s emerging talent and promising potential, especially when compared to Hülkenberg’s experience. In his first full Formula 1 weekend, the British driver is showing a very good performance so far.
Pierre Gasly is eliminated and finds himself in 13th position on the grid. Despite this, the Frenchman is satisfied with his performance, as he had initially thought he would finish much further back, without even managing to get through Q1.
The eliminated: Bearman, Tsunoda, Gasly, Hülkenberg and Stroll
The Q3
In Q3, the good pace of the Red Bull fades, with Max Verstappen only finishing in 6th place, behind his teammate Sergio Pérez, who managed to secure 4th place. The Mexican ahead of Verstappen, a rarity this season.
Franco Colapinto was definitely impressive throughout the entire qualifying session. The Argentine driver is in 9th position, three tenths ahead of Alexander Albon in 10th. It is worth noting that Albon encountered difficulties during his last qualifying attempt, being hindered by a fan that had remained stuck to his car. This incident undoubtedly hampered his performance and contributed to the gap between the two drivers.
Charles Leclerc secures his 4th consecutive pole position in Baku, a remarkable feat that marks the 26th pole position of his career. This exceptional performance once again demonstrates his mastery of this challenging circuit. He equals the record of Michael Schumacher, who also achieved four consecutive pole positions on a single circuit.
On his side, Carlos Sainz manages to qualify in 3rd position, offering Ferrari a solid opportunity to shine in the race with its two drivers well placed on the grid.
The result of the qualifying session for the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix of F1:
| Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:42.775 | 1:42.056 | 1:41.365 | 20 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:43.033 | 1:42.598 | 1:41.686 | 19 |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:43.357 | 1:42.503 | 1:41.805 | 23 |
| 4 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 1:43.213 | 1:42.263 | 1:41.813 | 15 |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:43.139 | 1:42.329 | 1:41.874 | 20 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:43.097 | 1:42.042 | 1:42.023 | 20 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:43.089 | 1:42.765 | 1:42.289 | 22 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco | 1:43.472 | 1:42.426 | 1:42.369 | 19 |
| 9 | Franco Colapinto | Williams | 1:43.138 | 1:42.473 | 1:42.530 | 20 |
| 10 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:42.899 | 1:42.840 | 1:42.859 | 19 |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:43.471 | 1:42.968 | 14 | |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:43.337 | 1:43.035 | 16 | |
| 13 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:43.088 | 1:43.179 | 15 | |
| 14 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:43.101 | 1:43.191 | 14 | |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco | 1:43.370 | 1:43.404 | 14 | |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | Racing Bulls | 1:43.547 | 9 | ||
| 17 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:43.609 | 7 | ||
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:43.618 | 7 | ||
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:44.246 | 10 | ||
| 20 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:44.504 | 8 |
