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Leclerc wins wild Baku pole fight.

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emailBy Michael Lamonato | June 5, 2021 9:57 AM ET

Charles Leclerc has taken back-to-back pole positions after red flags brought a chaotic qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to an early end.

Leclerc had taken provisional pole with his first flying lap — in no small part thanks to a substantial slipstream from Lewis Hamilton — to set up what should have been a tight conclusion with the second runs. But the shootout was halted with just a second remaining on the clock when Yuki Tsunoda smacked his AlphaTauri into the barrier at Turn 3, partially blocking the track. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, immediately behind him on the track, tried to take avoiding action but locked up, spinning himself into the wall in the run-off zone. Red flags were waved for the fourth time of the afternoon and the session was abandoned, handing Leclerc a second consecutive pole.


“It was quite a s••• lap!” Leclerc said. “I thought there were two or three corners where I did mistakes, but then of course I had a big tow from Lewis in the last sector which helped me quite a bit. But anyway I think we would’ve been thereabouts for pole.”

Hamilton was thrilled to qualify second and 0.232s behind after Mercedes’s difficult Friday, crediting the team with its work overnight for putting him in pole contention.

“We definitely weren’t expecting that,” he said. “This is such a monumental result for us because we’ve been struggling like you wouldn’t believe all weekend.

“We’ve made so many changed over these two days … it’s been so difficult, but really the work overnight and particularly between the sessions is really amazing of the team. To be up there so close to these guys is a great result.”

Verstappen was far less satisfied with third, 0.345s behind Leclerc, after starting the day as heavy pole favorite.

“Just a stupid qualifying, to be honest,” he said. “But anyway, it is what it is. I’m still P3. We have a good car.

“It’s just unfortunate. But it’s a street circuit, these things can happen. We’re still up there. Of course I would’ve liked to start a bit further ahead, but it’s still all to play for.”