Charles Leclerc Claims Pole At Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The first session of qualifying got the stage ready for a big fight, as most drivers chose to start on soft tires. Sergio Perez was the first to set the pace with Red Bull, doing a 1:43.365, chased closely by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

But the big shock of Q1 came when Lando Norris, currently second in the championship standings, was knocked out after yellow flags were waved on his final flying lap. This leaves Norris starting from the lowly 17th position on the grid, which is a huge dent in his title hopes.

Q2 – Red Bull Flexes Its Muscles

The second qualifying session was all about Red Bull flexing its muscles as Max Verstappen posted a 1:42.04 to lead the pack. Oscar Piastri impressed with third place, while George Russell and rookie Oliver Bearman completed the top five.

As the session went on, Ferrari went for a slightly different run plan shortly after, going with Leclerc second and Sainz fourth out onto a clear track. The final moments of Q2 saw no further improvements at the sharp end, Verstappen holding onto top 1.

Q3 – Leclerc’s Masterclass

The pole position shootout got underway with Leclerc setting the benchmark with a 1:41.610—a couple of tenths quicker than teammate Sainz1—while Oscar Piastri continued his strong form by moving into third ahead of Russell, Perez, and Verstappen, who lost time with a slide in the final sector1.

By the final runs, Leclerc was able to pull a mark down to a surprising 1:41.365 and lock down the pole by some margin. Oscar Piastri clung onto second place despite wobbling out of Turn 15 on his final lap as Carlos Sainz completed the top three.

Grid Lineup and Consequences

The final qualifying results see Charles Leclerc on pole, followed by Oscar Piastri in third and Carlos Sainz. Sergio Perez made sure he finally qualified for the first time his teammate Max Verstappen this season in fourth, with the Dutchman being shuffled down the grid to sixth while George Russell was able to split the Red Bulls into fifth due to the huge upsurge of pace on show by Mercedes.

This grid lineup sets the stage for an intriguing race, with Ferrari looking strong at the front but facing pressure from both McLaren and Red Bull. Long straights in Baku could see Red Bull benefit and close up on what looks to be a rather disappointing qualifying performance for the Austrian team.

Leclerc’s Baku Brilliance

The pole position of Charles Leclerc in Baku once more underlined his excellent one-lap pace and his very good feeling on this demanding city course. Asked about his performance, Leclerc said, “The pace was always there, and then in qualifying and Q3 it was all about trying to stay as far as possible off the walls. In that last lap I went for it a bit more, and the lap time came very nicely. The car felt really good, and everything felt great, so it’s amazing to be on pole.”

That means this is the third pole for Leclerc this season after his success in Italy. Still, more than that, Monegasque will be eager to see pole converted into victory as he has not achieved any in Azerbaijan so far despite starting in pole position.

Challenges Ahead

As impressive as Leclerc’s qualifying performance was, history has shown that converting pole position into a race win in Baku is not easy. The circuit, with its long straights and plentiful overtaking opportunities, is not one where starting from pole can be regarded as any guarantee of victory.

Ferrari’s race pace has often been a question mark compared to their qualifying speed. Carlos Sainz said, “I think we had a solid quali, a solid day in general with the two cars, and I think we put ourselves in a very good position for tomorrow. I’ve never really been 100% hooked up around here in my career. It’s a track that I tend to struggle with a bit, so to be P3 is a good position for tomorrow, as also my race pace yesterday seemed strong, so it’s all to play for tomorrow.”

That’s going to be tricky, with the team needing to manage tire strategy well in a bid to ward off potentially stronger race pace from both Red Bull and McLaren. The long run down to Turn 1 at the start might prove crucial too, as Piastri and Sainz—among others, most likely—will give Leclerc a hard time into the first corner.

Red Bull’s Mixed Fortunes

Red Bull has dominated much of the 2024 season, but they go into the race in an unusual position. Sergio Perez unqualified teammate Max Verstappen for the first time this year to line up fourth on the grid. Verstappen, meanwhile, could only qualify sixth after struggling with the balance of his car throughout qualifying.

But despite those qualifying struggles, Red Bull’s race pace has been formidable all season and cannot be discounted from victory contention. Both Perez and Verstappen have won in Baku before, Perez taking victory in both 2021 and 2023.

McLaren’s Contrasting Fortunes

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri produced a stellar drive to take P2 on the grid, a career-best for the Formula 1 young gun. The young Australian has had an impressive weekend so far and will be in search of his second career victory on Sunday.

But the team’s delight is tempered by the disappointment of Lando Norris’s Q1 exit. Norris, the closest challenger to Verstappen in the championship, will line up 17th after yellow flags ruined his final flying lap. It could be a big blow to his hopes in the championship battle, with Norris needing a big recovery drive to limit the potential points deficit to Verstappen.

Mercedes in the Mix

Mercedes hit better form in qualifying, with George Russell taking fifth place on the grid, and the team has been working diligently to close the gap to the front-runners, so perhaps a podium position is not out of reach with Russell.

Lewis Hamilton struggled in the session, however, and will start Sunday’s race from seventh place. The seven-time world champion is expected to have a good fight for a top-five finish in the race.

Rookie Sensations

Adding to the drama of the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session were two stunning results by rookies. Franco Colapinto, in only his second Grand Prix weekend, pulled off an insane ninth place on the grid for Williams. It was a performance indicative of just how much the young Argentine has learned so far and how well he can adapt to the difficult-to-drive Baku circuit.

Another rookie, Oliver Bearman, did almost make it into Q3 but eventually lined up 11th on the grid for Haas1. This performance, added to his teammate’s, means that the sport’s youngest drivers can add an extra layer of excitement in the race, as well as point toward the depth of talent now characterizing the current Formula 1 field.

The Baku Factor

The Baku City Circuit is known to be quite capricious and sometimes shows dramatic races. The format of the track—with very long straights combined with tiny, technical sections—often saw incidents and safety car periods that could mix up the order.

The most distinctive feature of this circuit is the long start-finish straight where the cars can reach 360 km/h. This gives a very good overtaking opportunity into Turn 1 but also gives the risk of lock-ups and missed braking points.

Another possible flashpoint is the narrow section around the old city walls—particularly the tight Turn 8—where tiny mistakes can easily send cars into the barriers and perhaps even bring out the safety car.

Race Strategies and Tire Management

Tire management in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is going to be the single biggest factor in determining the fate of the teams participating in the event. With long straights and tight corners, the tires have to take a lot of stress, and the teams have to strike a balance between performance and longevity.

Going by the practice sessions on Friday, most of the teams are likely to adopt a one-stop strategy; however, safety car periods might just create avenues for different strategies—rewarding those that can take risks and adopt an out-of-the-box approach.

Pirelli suggests the soft-compound tire to be the one starting the race and able to offer the best grip for those crucial first laps. On the other side, there’s a big question mark above its longevity on long stints. For teams, then, the choices of medium and hard compounds stand to be reasonable ways to keep conservatism alive.

Weather Considerations

The weather forecast for race day in Baku is warm and settled, with temperatures set to reach around 30°C. These should give fairly stable and predictable track temperatures, meaning teams can rely on much of the data they have gathered during practice and qualifying.

However, the heat could make life easier on tires for those who are struggling with degradation. Controlling tire temperatures and avoiding overheating will be crucial to maintaining performance over the length of the race.

Championship Implications

This Azerbaijan Grand Prix could have big implications for both drivers’ and constructors’ world championships. A clear opportunity for Max Verstappen to extend his championship lead beckons with Lando Norris lining up in 17th place. Verstappen will need to make much of that chance as he’ll line up no higher than sixth.

Thanks to a good Ferrari qualifying, the Scuderia will thus be able to close the gap a little to leaders Red Bull and second-placed McLaren27; a good result for both drivers could see Leclerc and Sainz catch up in a big way.

Conclusion

A fourth successive pole position in Baku underlines Charles Leclerc’s arrival as one of the fastest qualifiers in Formula 1, but the real task is on Sunday to convert this pole into a win against strong opposition from Red Bull, McLaren, and his teammate.

The stage is set for another dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix full of drama, overtaking, and strategic battles throughout the field. From Leclerc’s pursuit of his first Baku win to Norris’s recovery drive from 17th, plus the ongoing battle between Red Bull and Ferrari, there are compelling storylines throughout the grid.

When the lights go out on Sunday, all eyes will be set on Turn 1 to see whether Leclerc can hold this advantage and if this chasing pack has anything to put up. And in the known unpredictable arena that is the Baku City Circuit, one thing was certain: F1 fans will be treated to another spectacular—plus potentially race-defining—Azerbaijan Grand Prix.