''Leclerc beats Piastri to pole in Azerbaijan as Norris suffers shock Q1 exit''

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc continued his exceptional streak at the Baku City Circuit by securing pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday. This achievement marks Leclerc’s fourth consecutive pole at this venue, following his previous successes in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Leclerc’s lap of 1m 41.365s was a standout performance, leaving him approximately three-tenths of a second ahead of Oscar Piastri, who qualified second.

Leclerc's dominance in qualifying was complemented by a strong showing from his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, who secured third place on the grid. Red Bull's drivers, despite displaying glimpses of speed throughout the session, had to settle for fourth and sixth positions. Sergio Perez, a two-time winner in Azerbaijan, managed to outperform his teammate Max Verstappen, who ended up in sixth.

Mercedes driver George Russell put in a solid performance to place his car in fifth position. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, struggled with getting his tyres to the right temperature and ended up in seventh. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso secured eighth place, while Williams drivers Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon rounded out the top ten.

Colapinto, the impressive rookie from Williams, had a standout qualifying session. However, the day was marred by a mistake for Albon, as he was sent out for his final lap with an airbox fan still attached to his car. This oversight hindered his performance and prevented him from potentially achieving a higher grid position.

Despite this mishap, Williams had a notably successful day overall, especially with Colapinto's performance drawing attention. The young driver’s ability to make it into Q3 underscores the promising potential of his rookie season.

In summary, Leclerc's continued dominance at Baku underlines his exceptional skills and Ferrari's competitive edge, while the drama of qualifying highlighted both the high stakes and the meticulous nature of Formula 1 racing.