Azerbaijan GP: Charles Leclerc aims for historic pole – where does he make the difference in Baku?. Charles Leclerc aims for a historic fifth consecutive pole at the Azerbaijan GP.

Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Ayrton Senna are the three drivers who have achieved five or more consecutive pole positions at the same Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc could join this elite list at the Azerbaijan GP. In the second part of the weekend, his focus will shift to claiming victory – Ferrari’s first of 2025 and Leclerc’s first at Baku. Yet the odds still favor McLaren, and on paper, Red Bull, after recent upgrades, could match Ferrari’s level. The progress seen in the races before the summer break was not confirmed at Zandvoort and Monza, with Red Bull reclaiming second-place performance thanks to Max Verstappen’s stunning win at the temple of speed. Further ahead, Lando Norris will continue his pursuit of Oscar Piastri, complicated by a technical issue in the Netherlands, and will have to outperform his teammate on a track where he struggled last year due to a Q1 mistake and an unlucky yellow flag. From now on, any small error could decide the championship.

Leclerc seeks fifth consecutive pole – what is his Baku secret?

Charles Leclerc’s connection with Baku started during his Formula 2 days, where he had an extraordinary weekend shortly after his father passed away. Throughout his career, he has rarely disappointed at the Azerbaijan GP. Including 2024, Leclerc has secured four consecutive poles at this circuit; achieving another would place him alongside Schumacher, Senna, and Hamilton as the only drivers to claim five in a row at the same GP. What is the Monegasque’s magic formula for the streets of the Windy City? The central sector is his hunting ground – in this streak, no one has been faster than him. Interestingly, the only drivers who have come within a tenth of a second were Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly during qualifying in 2021.

The first point where Charles Leclerc gains an advantage over rivals is the 11/12 chicane after the castle. Every pole he has achieved here shows a characteristic move in turn 12: he lightly taps the brakes just before the apex to rotate the car, allowing a powerful exit. Over the years, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz have tried similar techniques with some success, but none matched Leclerc’s precision. His typical mid-corner throttle control perfectly balances the car’s front and rear axles, maximizing traction while maintaining high minimum speed. Since 2023, a similar style is evident in the first part of the same chicane, where Leclerc releases the brakes momentarily at entry, then applies them as described to gain speed in the directional change before turn 12.

Another section where Leclerc consistently outperforms rivals is turn 15. Multiple factors come into play: on the straight leading to the braking zone, he stays extremely close to the left wall to set up a straight braking line into the left-hand corner, braking late and hard to gain early advantage. Midway through braking, he slows more than competitors, sacrificing entry speed but improving exit performance – complicated by the negative slope from the apex. This is the sector where he gains the most time on average.

Will SF-25 finally convert speed into victory?

What has been missing is the win, narrowly missed in the last four Azerbaijan GPs due to performance shortfalls, strategy errors, or reliability issues. Could this weekend finally bring the SF-25 to victory? McLaren is favored despite finishing second and third at Monza last year, when Piastri won thanks in part to an aggressive wing choice and the mini DRS. This year, the advantage might be greater despite a top-speed deficit. Piastri has eight races to manage a 31-point lead over Norris, who will need to claw back points even in less favorable weekends like this one. After Italy, Red Bull will face a track less suited to the RB21, with fewer medium and high-speed corners and rougher asphalt than Monza, testing the recent upgrades. Mercedes could benefit from the rear-limited nature of the circuit, but challenging for the podium will remain difficult, as explained by Andrea Vergani for autoracer.it.

Pirelli softens tires compared to 2024 – will C6 be viable?

For the fourth time this season, teams can use the C6 tire, previously available at Imola, Monaco, and Montreal, though it was not always the most competitive. At Emilia Romagna and Canada, C5 proved better on the single lap, primarily because its stiffer structure handled lateral loads effectively. At the Azerbaijan GP, lateral forces are limited, mainly in the fast triple-left of the second sector, while surface temperatures fluctuate considerably during the lap. The best tire choice between C5 and C6 will likely become clear only on Saturday.

Pirelli believes that the softer tire range compared to last year may allow a two-stop strategy, losing less than 20 seconds in pit lane. The long straights in the first and third sectors require relatively low downforce setups, which can lead to challenging wheelspin during the race, especially when chasing another car, as seen with Leclerc and Piastri last year. Qualifying and track position will therefore be crucial.