Charles Leclerc in the lead in qualifying in Baku

Charles Leclerc took his second pole position in a row in a chaotic qualifying Azerbaijan Grand Prix. There were four red flags in all, most of them since Hungarian Grand Prix in 2016.

Q1 – Turn 15 is not for everyone

Turn 15 was the bad guy in Q1. Not once but twice we saw red flags on the corner due to falls. Lance walk was the first to hit the wall just four minutes into the session. He locked and had nowhere to go.

Antonio Giovinazzi was also in trouble. He locked up and went straight into the wall, unable to slow down. Both Stroll and Giovinazzi had no set times which meant they couldn’t get it out of Q1.

The Uralkali Haas F1 Team Drivers couldn’t make it into Q2. Nikita Mazepin will begin on the eighteenth Mick Schumacher ahead of him as seventeenth. Nicholas Latifi was the one who just missed Q2 and will start from sixteen.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team and McLaren F1 team had not set any times after the two red flags and had to continue with warning tires. However, all drivers of both teams reached Q2 with Lewis Hamilton top the session.

George Russell almost not into qualifying. He had a problem during morning practice and his team worked hard to get the car ready. Fortunately, the red flags were on his side and he was able to participate and get through to Q2.

Lando Norris should be investigated after qualifying for the red flag procedure. He was out on a lap and felt like he was going too fast to get into the pits so he stayed out, which is against the regulations.

Q2 – Ricciardo falls out early again

Another meeting, another red flag. This time from the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo locked himself in turn 3 and collided with the barrier. He was thirteenth at the time and will start there. His accident happened with a minute and a half on the clock.

The race management finally decided not to restart the session. Sebastian Vettel was audibly annoyed by this decision as he was on a flying lap. He didn’t make it out of Q2 and starts eleventh.

Esteban Ocon also cut off the wall at turn 3, but luckily couldn’t avoid damage to his car. He will start in twelfth place tomorrow.

Other omission from Q2 was Kimi Raikkonen who starts as fourteenth and George Russell who will be fifteenth.

Max Verstappen was the fastest overall in Q2, but it was very close to the top. Fernando Alonso finished Q2 in tenth, only half a second behind and the top 5 were only 0.034 seconds apart.

Q3 – A chaotic end to the day

Leclerc took his ninth career pole. The Ferrari driver drove a lap that nobody could touch.

Hamilton starts second. The way Mercedes had gone over the weekend, it didn’t look like they could get any of their cars that far on the grid. However, Hamilton has once again proven why he’s one of the greatest drivers of our time and pulled a flying lap out of nowhere.

The end of qualifying was certainly not without drama. Yuki Tsunoda crashed on Turn 3 with half a minute on the clock, red flag and the end of the session. Carlos Sainz Jr. also missed the turn and crashed into the run-off zone. You start as eighth and fifth.

Verstappen finished the top three in third place. His session was tarnished by the red flag and the Dutchman will certainly think he could have had more.

Pierre Gasly was still strong. He starts fourth, but was just ahead of Verstappen’s third place. Gasly will be featured in the race.

Norris qualified sixth. He will be investigated for his red flag procedures during the first quarter, so his position may change on race day.

Sergio Perez was quick all weekend and he will also feel that the red flags ruined his day. He could only do one lap, which put him in seventh fastest place.

Alonso overqualified his teammate from the Alpine F1 Team for the first time this year. He starts from ninth place, but has to look over his shoulder in the Mercedes Valtteri Bottas in tenth another driver whose day was ruined by red flags.

Qualification results