Leclerc completes Baku pole hat-trick for Ferrari  

30 April, 2023

BAKU - Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position in Baku for the third year in a row at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday with a scorching lap that ended Red Bull’s run of qualifying domination. The pole, in a session twice red-flagged early on due to crashes, was Ferrari’s first of the Formula One season after Red Bull had qualified fastest in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen will line up alongside on the front row with his teammate Sergio Perez third.  Drivers will have another qualifying on Saturday for a standalone 100 km sprint race that no longer determines Sunday’s grid after a new format was agreed unanimously by teams this week.  Saturday will be the first of six sprints this year. “It feels good...It’s good to be back on top,” said Leclerc after whooping in delight over the team radio. There was nothing to separate him and Verstappen after the initial flying laps, with both clocking one minute 40.445 seconds but the Red Bull driver on provisional pole due to setting his time first.  Leclerc made sure he got his second lap in first, lowering the benchmark to 1:40.203 -- with Verstappen unable to beat it and ending up 0.188 slower. 

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