Vettel charges to third pole in succession

Sebastian Vettel secured a third pole position in a row for 2018 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix thanks to another scintillating performance. Lewis Hamilton joins Vettel on the front row, with Kimi Raikkonen spinning out of a potential pole lap for Ferrari.

As in recent races, Vettel's performance has grown through the weekend and his time of one minute 41.498 seconds from his first Q3 run proved to be more than enough.

Baku's first grand prix was won from pole by Nico Rosberg, but last year's chaotic race suggests Vettel will have to work hard to convert his 53rd pole position into a 50th F1 victory.

However, the German will be under pressure in Baku with Mercedes starting P2 and P3 with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas within three tenths.

Raikkonen ought to have joined his team-mate on the front row, but a spin at turn 16 when he looked on form cost him dearly and the Finn will start sixth.

Further denting things for Raikkonen, he will start the race on ultrasofts and will likely have to execute a two-stop strategy, while the five cars ahead of him will eye one-stoppers as they start on supersoft rubber.

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen start fourth and fifth and have shown typically strong race pace through the event.

Force India have shown improvements this week - Esteban Ocon and 2016 podium finisher Sergio Perez will start seventh and eighth respectively.

Nico Hulkenberg outqualified Renault team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr, but the German will start 14th after taking a five-place penalty for a change of gearbox.

Qualifying sessions have been typically punctured by incidents at Baku in years past and 2018 was no different, Pierre Gasly almost ploughing into the back of Toro Rosso team-mate Brendon Hartley, but the Frenchman's razor-sharp instincts saved a massive crash as his team-mate struggled with a puncture.

BREAKING: Sebastian Vettel storms to pole in Baku - his third in a row! ????#AzerbaijanGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/Tgqwzd7VQm — Formula 1 (@F1) April 28, 2018

Q2

Williams missed out on the Q3 spots they secured yesterday, but a return of 11th and 12th for Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin is an improvement on what they've seen so far this year. Alonso, Leclerc and Magnussen outqualified their team-mates.

Q1

The Toro Rossos were both eliminated but it could have been much worse, if not for spectacular reactions from Gasly. Stoffel Vandoorne suffered a first Q1 elimination of 2018 and Romain Grosjean suffered a gearbox issue to compound a difficult weekend so far.