Verstappen Takes Pole in Baku
VERSTAPPEN CLAIMS POLE IN CHAOTIC,HISTORY-MAKING AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
Max Verstappen will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position. For the first time in his career, he secured pole in Baku, capping off a chaotic qualifying session marked by a record number of red flags.
In total, the session was halted six times. After four stoppages in Q1 and Q2, the decisive moment came in Q3 when both Charles Leclerc and championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed, bringing the session to an early end. At that point, Williams driver Carlos Sainz had briefly taken provisional pole with just 3:41 remaining on the clock.
However, Verstappen returned to the track on fresh soft tyres and delivered a lap of 1:41.117, reclaiming pole and demoting Sainz to second place. For Williams, this was the team’s best qualifying result since George Russell in 2021.
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson achieved the best result of his career by qualifying third. McLaren’s Lando Norris brushed the wall on his final lap and had to settle for seventh, a result that somewhat offsets the setback for his teammate Piastri, who will line up ninth after his crash.
McLaren’s struggles were particularly notable, as the team had a chance to secure the Constructors’ Championship this weekend.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton’s run with Ferrari ended in Q2, leaving him only 12th on the grid.
With a mixed starting order and the main title contenders scattered down the field, tomorrow’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises to be one of the most dramatic and thrilling races of the season.
