[Sports] Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Leclerc beats Verstappen to pole position

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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc became the first non-Red Bull driver to take a pole position this year with a stunning lap at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Leclerc beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.188 seconds. Sergio Perez was third in the second Red Bull ahead of Leclerc's team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Lewis Hamilton took fifth ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell failed to make it into the final session and will start 11th.

Leclerc, who excels at street tracks, has now set pole position at the Baku street circuit for the last three years and this one could be the best of the lot.

Underlining the quality of his performance, he was 0.813secs quicker than Sainz in fourth place.

Leclerc said: "For sure I'm surprised. We came into the weekend thinking it would be a great weekend if we are in front of Mercedes and Aston in qualifying and in the end we are on pole. I was very happy with the lap.

"We must not forget our race car is still behind the Red Bulls so it will be difficult to keep the lead but that is the target."

Asked whether it was his best pole position in F1, Leclerc said: "I feel like whenever you have the excitement of pole you want to say: 'Yes.' I feel like 2021 it was even more of a surprise but it was definitely a really good lap."

 

Link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65427155