Charles Leclerc Takes Pole at Azerbaijan GP, Lando Norris Faces Qualifying Nightmare

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive year, while McLaren's Lando Norris encountered a setback and will start 16th. Leclerc was joined on the front row by Oscar Piastri, with Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez on the second row. World champion Max Verstappen qualified sixth.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc clinched pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive year on Saturday. Meanwhile, McLaren's Lando Norris experienced a qualifying debacle and will start from 16th on the grid. Oscar Piastri of McLaren will join Leclerc on the front row, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez filling the second row.

Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen, currently leading the standings by 62 points over Norris with eight rounds remaining, placed sixth in the qualifiers, with Mercedes' George Russell securing the fifth spot. This marks the 26th pole of Leclerc's career, his third this season, though he has yet to turn a pole position into a win at Baku, a race Red Bull has won for the past three years.

'It's one of my favorite tracks of the season. I really like it,' said Leclerc, who recently won in Italy but had a practice crash in Baku. 'In that last lap, I took a few more risks, and everything felt great. It's amazing to be on pole. Hopefully, we can play a team game tomorrow to win. This year, our race car is stronger, so I hope we can finally make it.'

(With inputs from agencies.)