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Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
F1 Azerbaijan GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Saturday's action, including qualifying, ahead of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
F1 returns to the unique Baku Street Circuit for the eighth round of the 2022 championship, the second street event in a row following the Monaco GP.
Sergio Perez was the winner last time out, and now sits only 15 points behind championship leader and team-mate Max Verstappen - as Charles Leclerc remains between them in second in the drivers' standings.
Verstappen will be looking for retribution after his spectacular tyre blowout at last year's Baku race, which cost him victory in Azerbaijan's capital city.
Charles Leclerc topped Friday’s second practice for Ferrari ahead of Perez and Verstappen.
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Summary
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Summary
- Charles Leclerc takes pole for F1's Azerbaijan GP
- Perez lines up on the front row with Verstappen in third
- Norris, Ricciardo, Ocon, Zhou and Bottas out in Q2
- Magnussen, Albon, Latifi, Stroll and Schumacher out in Q1
- Hamilton faces investigation for driving unnecessarily slowly
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Leaderboard
- Leclerc, Ferrari
- Perez, Red Bull
- Verstappen, Red Bull
- Sainz, Ferrari
- Russell, Mercedes
- Gasly, AlphaTauri
- Hamilton, Mercedes
- Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
- Vettel, Aston Martin
- Alonso, Alpine
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Catch up with all the action from Qualifying. Report: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-azerbaijan-gp-leclerc-beats-perez-to-baku-pole/10320430/
Join us for all the coverage and reaction from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday. Lights out at midday BST.
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Leclerc: "This one I didn't expect and I thought Red Bull were stronger. In the last lap everything came together."
Verstappen says that Red Bull seem to lack a bit compared to Ferrari over one lap. In the long run "our car should be quite good".
Russell emerged as the best of the rest in P5 ahead of Gasly, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Vettel and Alonso.
Verstappen ends the session in third and will share the second row with Sainz.
Leclerc takes his sixth pole position of the season. The Ferrari driver posts a 1m41.359s which was almost three tenths faster than Perez.
Perez shoots to second. Leclerc claims pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix!
Checkered flag
Leclerc goes fastest!
Leclerc has gone purple in sector 1 and 2. Perez wasn't fuelled in time, that was the issue.
Just over a minute remaining. Sainz has provisional pole at the minute.
The Red Bull have only just emerged from pitlane for the final run. Red Bull tells Verstappen that Perez has an issue.
So after the first run. Sainz heads Leclerc, Perez, Verstappen, Gasly, Russell, Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso and Tsunoda.
Only 0.047s separates Sainz and Leclerc at the top. Just 0.175s covers the top four.
Perez brushes the wall at Turn 1 but keeps going.
Replays shows Leclerc lost time when the rear end of his Ferrari stepped out.
Stopwatch
Sainz to the top now, Leclerc goes second. Perez slots into third ahead of Verstappen in fourth.
Gasly is able to post a 1m42.845s effort.
Alonso fires in the first lap which is beaten by Gasly, Russell and Hamilton.
First flying laps underway.
Green flag
So here we go, the battle for pole begins. Q3 is go go go.
The post-session investigation surrounding Hamilton is referring to the Mercedes driver holding up Norris (McLaren).
Perez topped the times from Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen, Gasly, Hamilton, Vettel, Russell, Alonso and Tsunoda. Those are the contenders for the battle for pole in Q3.
Norris, Ricciardo, Ocon, Zhou and Bottas are eliminated from Q2.
Ricciardo improves but it is not enough to move into Q3.
Checkered flag
Chequered flag is out for Q2.
Norris has now fallen into the elimination zone and has gone down the Turn 15 slip road.
Hamilton now jumps out of the drop zone and into P6.
Hamilton will be investigated after the session for driving unnecessarily slowly.
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Hamilton says "I've got no turn man". The Mercedes driver is in P11.
Vettel has made it back to the pits after his moment at Turn 15.
Stopwatch
Perez to the top now with 1m41.955s. The Red Bull driver is the first to dip into the 1m41s bracket.
Yellow flag
Vettel has now found the wall at Turn 15. He nudges the barriers with his nose and gets going again.
Hamilton is 0.002s adrift of Norris, who sits safe in P10.
Hamilton, Ocon, Ricciardo, Zhou and Bottas in the drop zone with eight minutes to go.
Gasly sits P5 after the first run with Russell P6.
Stopwatch
Ferrari respond. Sainz to the top with a 1m42.088s as Leclerc moves to P2, 0.094s back.
Stopwatch
Verstappen and Perez start the session on the front foot. Verstappen punches in 1m42.227s which is 0.031s quicker than team-mate Perez.
Green flag
Q2 is underway.
Q2 is coming right up!
By: autosport.com
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