There was a big queue forming in the pit lane as the cars wait to head out for the first phase of the qualifying session for the 2022 Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix. We were just a minute away from finally getting under way in Baku after a 15-minute delay.
It was the Red Bull cars who have the advantage after the first set of lying laps, Max Verstappen leading after heading below the 1:43 mark and setting a 1:42.938. Sergio Perez was just +0.260, with Charles Leclerc then in third and Carlos Sainz fourth. Soon there was an eye-catching effort from Zhou Guanyu for Alfa Romeo: the rookie went fifth and within a second of Charles Leclerc, who had taken over the leading time from Max Verstappen. It was looking touch and go for Lewis Hamilton after heading to the pits and then sitting in 14th but he got a flying lap in and was +1.230s off the pace in 8th.
Just in time, because only a few moments Lance Stroll crashed and there was a red flag. Just after hitting the wall at Turn 7 and then carrying on, he rounded the corner at Turn 2 and his right tyres went straight into the barrier as his car didn’t seem to turn. Tt could have been that earlier damage was taking its toll. Stroll, of course, was very much out of Quali: it was a third consecutive Q1 elimination for him this season and a third successive Q1 elimination in Baku.
Q1 resumed ahead of what promised to be a chaotic final two minutes and 30 seconds. All the cars queued up in the pit lane as they attempted to make it round the track in time to set one final flying lap. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Alex Albon (Williams), Nicholas Latifi (Williams) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Mick Schumacher (Haas) were out in Q1. It was a very close call for Valtteri Bottas, who almost faced his first Q1 knockout since Monaco 2015. However, he squeaked through courtesy of his final lap and into 15th position.
And after that breathless finish to Q1, the 15-minute Q2 was under way. Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen took the opportunity to set some early, very fast, times. The Dutchman was on top with a 1:42.227, with his teammate just +0.031s behind him. But the F1-75 cars were soon back on track and Carlos Sainz, who had been off the pace of team-mate Charles Leclerc and the Red Bulls so far this weekend, went fastest with a 1:42.088. His Maranello teammate was second, Verstappen third and Perez fourth. As expected, it was very tight between Ferrari and Red Bull with the four drivers separated by less than 0.2s. He had been driving with some real confidence this weekend and Sergio Perez was the first to breach the 1:42s threshold, setting a 1:41.955. Max Verstappen can only make it to fourth place at that stage as we were starting to see some drivers head back to the pits for some new tyres.
There cares eliminated in Q2 were Lando Norris (McLaren), Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo), Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo).
So here we were! It had been supremely tight between Red Bull and Ferrari all weekend, and it was now time to see who came out on top. Carlos Sainz was in the hunt for pole here, as the Spaniard outpaced his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who only just avoided a collision with the wall as he lost control at Turn 12, and the Red Bulls. Sergio Perez was third ahead of Max Verstappen after the first runs.
All the drivers were heading back to the pits for some new tyres and, with just five minutes let, it was going to get interesting! At this stage, we truly could not say who is favourite for that front spot on the grid! The Ferrari cars went out much before everyone else to ensure no slipstreams were available to any rivals. And for the first time ever, someone has taken pole more than once in Baku! Charles Leclerc was back on the front row and he has been joined by the Red Bull of Sergio Perez. After a fuel issue, Checo left it late and managed to get just ahead of his teammate Verstappen. Only fourth for Carlos Sainz, as Red Bull and Ferrari lock out of the first and second row.
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