Ferrari qualifying report: Charles Leclerc comfortably takes pole, Carlos Sainz P3! | 2024 F1 Azerbaijan GP. How the qualifying session for the F1 Azerbaijan GP unfolded for Ferrari.

Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc put in a stunning final lap in qualifying to secure pole position, narrowly beating Oscar Piastri, who led McLaren’s charge. His teammate, however, faced a tough session as Lando Norris found himself knocked out in Q1, set to start from 17th after getting caught out by yellow flags in the final moments. Max Verstappen will line up in sixth, behind his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, while Daniel Ricciardo was another early casualty, qualifying 16th.

The session started with a flurry of activity, as all 20 drivers queued up at the pit exit before the lights even turned green. Mercedes opted to run George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on medium tires, having already used two sets of hards in practice. This strategy allowed them to complete two warm-up laps compared to those on soft tires who needed only one.

Max Verstappen posted a 1:43.644 on his first attempt, two-tenths slower than his teammate Perez. Meanwhile, Russell and Hamilton found themselves on the edge of elimination, with Russell sitting in 13th and Hamilton slightly ahead in 12th after their initial laps. Daniel Ricciardo, in 16th, was also hovering near the danger zone. Verstappen, frustrated with his performance, complained that he was “nowhere” as he sat in seventh.

With six minutes left in Q1, Leclerc fired off a blistering 1:42.775, putting himself more than four-tenths clear of Perez. Russell managed to improve to second place, though still three-tenths behind the Ferrari. As the clock ticked down, Ricciardo slipped to 19th, unable to improve enough to secure a spot in Q2.

Track conditions were evolving quickly, so McLaren sent both Piastri and Norris back out in the final minutes. Ricciardo briefly climbed to seventh, only to be pushed down by a strong lap from Yuki Tsunoda. Verstappen, sitting precariously in 15th with just seconds left, managed to lift himself to safety with a lap that moved him to third, avoiding an early exit. Norris wasn’t as fortunate, missing out on Q2 after a yellow flag ruined what could have been a lap fast enough for second place.

As Q2 got underway, Ferrari fitted used tires to both of its cars. Carlos Sainz set a 1:43.225, while Piastri, on fresh tires, claimed provisional pole with a 1:42.598. Red Bull quickly responded, with Perez and Verstappen both posting quicker times. Perez clocked a 1:42.263, two-tenths slower than Verstappen, putting the Red Bull drivers temporarily at the top.

Ferrari then went for a second run midway through the session. Sainz improved to third, just ahead of Piastri, and Leclerc soon followed, knocking the McLaren down another spot. Ferrari’s strategy of running their cars alone on track, avoiding the crowded final minutes, seemed to pay off. However, both drivers aborted their next flying laps, unable to coordinate a tow, and instead set themselves up for a final push in the closing moments.

With two minutes left, several drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, and Tsunoda, were at risk of elimination. Hamilton’s lap left him vulnerable in seventh, but he clung on to ninth as Franco Colapinto vaulted to fifth. In the end, Oliver Bearman, Tsunoda, Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, and Lance Stroll were all knocked out.

Piastri opened Q3 on used tires, setting a time good enough for third behind both Ferraris. Verstappen, meanwhile, made an error exiting Turn 16, sliding wide and losing precious time, leaving him only sixth, six-tenths behind Leclerc, who held provisional pole.

Drama unfolded in the pits when Williams mistakenly released Alex Albon with the airbox fan still attached to his car. Piastri noticed the incident as he exited the pits, but Albon managed to dislodge the fan and toss it aside. Unfortunately, this delay meant Albon didn’t have enough time to start his final lap before the session ended.

Piastri found more pace on his final lap, improving to second, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone Charles Leclerc, who further extended his lead at the top. Carlos Sainz secured third in the other Ferrari SF-24 car, while George Russell dropped to fifth behind Sergio Perez. Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Colapinto, and Albon completed the top ten, with Alex Albon outqualified by his teammate for the first time since the 2022 Silverstone Grand Prix.

Result Qualification – Azerbaijan