Max Verstappen denied Carlos Sainz a shock pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Drivers’ Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out.
The Red Bull driver claimed back-to-back pole positions after a thrilling Qualifying session which was impacted by an F1 record of six red flags, the final one having huge ramifications on the final order.
With Sainz, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar having set laps in Q3 and drops of rain starting to fall, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc hit the barrier at Turn 15 to bring out the red flag and prevent anyone else from finishing a lap time.
When the session resumed, Lando Norris and Verstappen were setting fastest sector times but dramatically, Piastri hit the barrier at Turn 3 to cause another stoppage with less than four minutes left on the clock.
With the green light back on, track conditions were far from their optimal and drivers scrambled to find the grip, with Verstappen setting a 1m 41.117s to deny Sainz pole by just under half a second.
Lawson improved with his second lap to remain third, ahead of the Mercedes cars of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell and the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda.
Norris failed to capitalise on his team mate’s pivotal error with a scrappy lap that left him only P7 in front of Hadjar and the timeless Piastri and Leclerc.
Despite an impressive showing across practice, Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 after struggling to string a lap together, leaving the Ferrari driver P12 and behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Gabriel Bortoleto’s Kick Sauber headed the second Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, while Haas rookie Ollie Bearman wound up P15 and without a time after hitting the barrier on the exit of Turn 2 which caused a red flag.
Franco Colapinto was left 16th and eliminated in Q1 after the Alpine driver brought out the red flag at the end of the session, having hit the barrier at Turn 4.
Nico Hulkenberg finished P17 and also caused an earlier stoppage after striking the barrier at the same turn, while Esteban Ocon (Haas), Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Alex Albon completed the order, the Williams driver bringing out the first red flag after hitting the wall at Turn 1.
With drops of rain falling and high winds playing their part, conditions were variable and likely to cause unpredictability for drivers, prompting the majority of the field to immediately head out as the green light flashed on at the end of the pit lane.
After the opening salvos Leclerc led the way on a 1m 41.982s from Verstappen and Norris, both McLarens and both Red Bulls using the medium Pirelli tyre for their opening laps.
But before Piastri could finish his lap the red flags were deployed, Albon having hit the inside wall at Turn 1 which brought his Williams to a stop with damaged suspension and left him out in Q1 with 11 minutes still remaining.
Drivers once again queued in the pit lane even with three minutes left until the pit exit re-opened, such was the urgency to register quicker lap times with another stoppage likely given the unforgiving nature of the Baku Circuit.
This came with just over six minutes remaining, Hulkenberg having run head-on into the barrier at Turn 4 before re-joining minus his front wing, the red flag dropping just after Piastri set a time good enough for second behind new pace-setter Hamilton, the Ferrari driver posting a 1m 41.821s.
The driver under most pressure once running resumed was Antonelli, the Mercedes rookie having lost his best lap time after running wide at Turn 16 and also being placed under investigation for a yellow flag infringement following Albon’s earlier incident.
The Italian delivered on the medium tyre, jumping up to sixth initially, while Russell, Leclerc and then Norris all occupied the top spot in quick succession.
On the cusp of elimination, Hadjar jumped to P5 as both Aston Martins avoided the drop zone just as a third red flag was deployed after drama for the Alpine drivers at Turn 4 in separate incidents. Gasly was left in the run-off area and, only seconds later, Colapinto lost the rear through the corner and slammed into the wall.
The Argentinian driver was left stranded and out in P16, while Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly and Albon were also eliminated in Q1, as Norris headed Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell at the top of the order, with Piastri finishing P7.
By F1
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