F1 Azerbaijan GP live commentary and updates – qualifying
Follow along for Formula 1 qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit
Live Standings
Live Text
Verstappen/Sainz front row for tomorrow's race
We'll leave it there for today - thanks for joining us, and we'll be back tomorrow for the race.
And I think it's going to be a fun one...
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Verstappen, on pole for the Azerbaijan GP: "It was difficult to get the lap together, with all the red flag. Q3, with also the rain around, it was a very difficult session. In the final lap you just have to send it. I wasn't even on the best tyres. I'm very happy with how the weekend has gone, we kept improving and we were there in qualifying, which is what counts.
Sainz, second on the grid for the Azerbaijan GP: "We've nailed qualifying today, been on the right tyre at the right time. I've been putting good laps together in qualifying this year, and today we proved the speed is there. Unfortunately, the year in terms of races is not going the way we want. But good races will come. Tomorrow, I'll try and stick it on the podium"
Lawson, third place in Azerbaijan GP qualifying: "You can see the rain on your visor and the gloss on the track, but the tyres are warm and you still have grip. You're trying to fight your brain."
Top 10
1. Verstappen
2. Sainz
3. Lawson
4. Antonelli
5. Russell
6. Tsunoda
7. Norris
8. Hadjar
9. Piastri
10. Leclerc
Verstappen denies Sainz pole
Verstappen finds time across his final lap to take pole, beating Sainz's pre-red flag time!
Lawson will be third on the grid after that late run, with Antonelli outqualifying Russell for fourth.
Norris is on a lap, and that McLaren looks like it's squirming everywhere. He touches the wall out of Turn 15, and I don't think this is going to be a pole lap - indeed, 0.6s off Sainz.
Russell can't do it either, as Lawson goes up to second! Verstappen might take this...
New softs for Verstappen and Russell, while everyone else is on used tyres.
Russell overtook Sainz on the pitlane exit - Sainz asks for the team to make sure that's reported.
Norris is first onto the pitlane exit, followed by Sainz, Russell, and the Racing Bulls.
Let's go.
While we wait, two crunch National League games are coming up: our editor Haydn Cobb's beloved Woking will kick off soon against Forest Green, while the superior team in Yeovil Town (which beat Woking the other day 1-0) will play away at Tamworth.
It's the first game for new Yeovil manager Danny Webb.
Q3 will resume in three minutes' time. Drizzle appears to still be in the air...
Verstappen's had the same red flag infringement noted as Antonelli for missing the pit entrance with the red flag, but he should also be okay. Neither were deliberate...
...and indeed, the NFA arrives. As you were!
That's very uncharacteristic of Piastri, but that's the difficulty of the conditions - the circuit is perhaps still not at its peak, following the sprinkling of rain.
There's 3m41s left on the clock, which should be enough to get a lap in.
Piastri tried to carry the speed through Turn 3, but was in a different postcode to the apex and filed straight into the Tecpro.
Nobody got a lap in, as Verstappen's attempt at a lap (which looked like it was a fraction down on Sainz by the end of the second sector) was chalked off before he crossed the line.
Piastri in the wall!
Red flag. Piastri has put his McLaren in the wall at Turn 3.
Q3 resumes
Verstappen kicks us off, eager to get a lap in. Sainz and the Racing Bulls duo follow the four-time champion.
Mediums for Verstappen, softs for Norris and Piastri, mediums for Russell.
"I honestly thought I'd be shooting for a pole today," Hamilton says to Sky in the press pen. He puts his Q2 elimination down to being on the wrong tyre, as the mediums seemed like the better compound for that stage.
We'll get going again in three minutes' time. Will the track still be difficult, or will Sainz's dreams of pole come to nothing? We'll find out shortly.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Clive Rose / Getty Images
Antonelli has been noted for a red flag infringement, as he was unable to get into the pit lane in time as the track went red. He should be alright with that one.
"You can start dancing to see if it rains a bit harder, no?" Sainz asks his engineers.
It's still spitting a little bit, but let's see if Sainz's dream comes true.
Leclerc carried too much speed into Turn 15, locked up, and dived straight into the Tecpro barrier.
So, here we are. Three drivers have a lap on the board: Sainz is currently P1 with a 1m41.595s, with Lawson and Hadjar classified second and third.
Williams would love it if the circuit got worse. "The track is so slippery, the white lines are like ice," Antonelli reports.
Leclerc in the wall
Leclerc's hit the wall at Turn 15! The streak of four poles here will come to an end - that's his day done.
Russell's gone deep at Turn 4, which looks like it's forced Norris to back out on his lap.
"It's too slippery. Now Russell goes straight - it's raining" - Verstappen says. This is abort, bolt on some softs, and hope for the best time if you don't have a lap on the board...
Q3 is up and running!
Here we go then - Lawson kicks us off. "Drops of rain at Turn 1," the Kiwi reports, and it does look like there's a couple of spots on the camera.
Top 10 shootout
Pole will be contested by:
Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Antonelli, Leclerc, Lawson, Hadjar, Sainz, Tsunoda.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
"Ohhhhhh my god, what the **** was that?" Stroll exclaimed in his final lap, as he felt the car lose traction at Turn 1.
"Crazy tailwind," reported engineer Gary Gannon. "Unbelievable," Stroll responded, angry at the elements.
Eliminated in Q2
11. Alonso
12. Hamilton
13. Bortoleto
14. Stroll
15. Bearman
A shake of the head from Hamilton, as he was optimistic through FP2 and FP3. That Leclerc lock-up ahead put him on the back foot slightly, but ultimately he just wasn't fast enough on that final run.
Leclerc actually tapped the wall out of Turn 2 on his run, but nonetheless kept himself in the top 10.
Hamilton's in the pits, so he's out. Bortoleto crosses the line, but he's not quite got enough either.
Tsunoda is improving, and gets into the top 10 by just 0.069s over Alonso. Verstappen then posts a 1m41.255s, just to flex a little bit.
Hamilton improves but stays 10th - Leclerc's about to dump him out.
Actually, Alonso managed to pop up first - although Leclerc managed to get into the top four.
Piastri then moves Leclerc aside as he gets up to second - 0.018s off Norris.
With four minutes left, our elimination zone is currently Stroll, Bortoleto, Alonso, Leclerc, and Bearman.
Leclerc's out again on fresh mediums, while Hamilton's having another tilt at a lap.
Hamilton gets a 1m42.824s lap in as a banker, as he was unable to set a time on his first lap with those softs.
Verstappen on mediums is up to second, while Tsunoda went ninth fastest. Piastri's earlier lap came with a slight touch of the wall at Turn 3, so that's where he lost some time.
Leclerc, meanwhile, went deep at Turn 3 and still is yet to dig out a lap.
Bortoleto gets a time on the board, but that's beaten by Sainz's 1m41.675s on mediums.
Norris then posts a 1m41.396s on used softs, while Piastri grabs a 1m41.636s. Russell splits the McLarens, and Antonelli fires his way up to third with a purple middle sector.
Leclerc went deep at Turn 1! That's really hurt the two Ferraris there, as the flash of yellow will have hurt Hamilton's attempt at a lap too.
Neither Red Bull is on track yet.
Q2 begins...again!
Leclerc kicks us off. Nobody has a single lap on the board, so evidently the Ferraris will be looking to fix that asap as they go out first.
Lots of leaves on the circuit.
Leclerc, Hamilton, and Bortoleto are first in the queue.
Mercedes is yet to even hit the track, having not left the garage prior to the current red flag.
Bearman's car is now being wheeled behind the wall, so hopefully we'll get going soon. We'd usually be in the final moments of Q3 by now - instead, Q2 will resume at 58 minutes past the hour.
Let the queue begin.
Bearman's hit the wall somewhere, so we've got another red. The Haas driver has come to a halt on the run to Turn 3, after crabbing his way out of the second corner.
He clouted the wall on the exit of Turn 2, breaking his right-rear suspension.
Q2 begins!
Carlos Sainz kicks us off, as the second session is now under way. Hadjar, Alonso, Bearman, and Lawson are on-track, as Hadjar's already gone deep at Turn 4.
Q2 will begin in about three minutes' time.
