Charles Leclerc feared Red Bull were unbeatable in Azerbaijan
Charles Leclerc feared Red Bull were unbeatable in Azerbaijan
Charles Leclerc did not believe Ferrari could topple Red Bull before securing pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver had traded the top spot in each of the three practice sessions with Red Bull's Sergio Perez.
When qualifying began, Red Bull appeared to have the advantage, with the Mexican and his championship-leading team-mate Max Verstappen leading the way.
When it mattered, however, Leclerc delivered a stunning lap to finish three-tenths of a second ahead of Perez to secure his fourth consecutive pole, second in Baku and 15th of his F1 career.
"Obviously, all pole positions feel good but this one, I probably did not expect it because I expected that Red Bull were stronger," said Leclerc.
"Especially in Q1 and Q2, I really struggled to see that we were faster but then in the last lap, everything came together and I managed to do a good lap, so I'm extremely happy."
Ferrari race pace improved with upgrades
Although Leclerc has started the last three races from pole, he has failed to convert any of these positions into a race victory.
But the Monégasque is confident this could change on Sunday, with the benefit of Ferrari's recent upgrades masked by reliability problems in Spain and the weather in Monaco.
"I'm really excited for tomorrow," added Leclerc. "I think we will have quite a lot of answers tomorrow because tyre management is a big thing here.
"In Barcelona and Monaco, we were managing it well even though in Monaco it was difficult to see anything.
"But overall, our race pace has gone a step up since we brought the upgrades so it will be very interesting."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Marko defends Ricciardo in 'unbelievable' idiot claim
- 4 minutes ago
Hamilton hints at sensational Newey arrival at Ferrari
- 1 hour ago
Suspended Red Bull employee 'grilled' as Horner saga given potential END DATE
- 2 hours ago
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
- 3 hours ago
F1 boss HITS BACK at star driver over schedule complaints
- Today 17:58
F1 2025 Driver Lineup: Big names on the move as half the grid reshuffles for next season
- Today 17:00
Related news
Top exciting Red Bull junior team drivers who could REPLACE De Vries
Best EVER start to a season and unwanted Ferrari records – Azerbaijan GP stats and facts
Wolff reveals rivalry Verstappen will NEVER shake after Russell clash
Marko slams 'FORCEFUL' move that sparked Azerbaijan GP outrage
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860