Charles Leclerc pipped Sergio Perez in a good second follow session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris had been off the tempo.
Leclerc was the final driver to do his qualifying simulation and benefited barely from the sooner observe situations to edge out Perez by 0.006s, with Lewis Hamilton in third at solely 0.066s behind the Ferrari driver.
Championship chief Max Verstappen was solely sixth and 0.545s adrift of Leclerc and Norris did not full a quick lap on the softs because of visitors.
Verstappen holds a 62-point lead over Norris with eight occasions remaining and Perez’s velocity suggests they need to be extra aggressive this weekend in comparison with current races.
However Perez was happier with the automobile on Friday in Baku as Verstappen complained about understeer and practically hit the wall with a lock up at Flip 5.
As for Norris, he was on the right track to be simply forward of Verstappen in second follow however got here throughout Pierre Gasly on the flat-out ultimate sweeping corners.
Gasly tried to get out of the way in which because of a battery difficulty however compelled Norris to again out in a scary second for each drivers.
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Christian Horner responds to questions on if Adrian Newey is much less of a risk at Aston Martin and compares his exit to Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s at Manchester United.
The McLaren driver would have been someplace round Carlos Sainz in fourth, Oscar Piastri in fifth and Verstappen in sixth, with all three drivers half a second behind pace-setter Leclerc.
As an alternative, Norris ended up down in seventeenth and can be hoping McLaren can discover time in a single day forward of ultimate follow at 9.30am on Saturday, which is adopted by qualifying at 1pm, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1.
Too near name in Baku
The shut battle on Friday is a continuation of F1’s extraordinarily aggressive races in the course of the European leg of the season, with six totally different winners within the final seven Grands Prix.
Hamilton appeared the higher of the 2 Mercedes within the second session, regardless of a sizzling seat, which was additionally a difficulty in Monza.
The seven-time world champion has admitted to struggling in Qualifying however can be buoyed by his sturdy tempo on Friday on a observe the place one-lap tempo is vital.
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Lewis Hamilton seems to be forward optimistically to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, regardless of disappointing outcomes there with Mercedes prior to now.
“It’s not just Leclerc and Perez, for Lewis it was also a great day,” mentioned Sky Sports activities F1’s Karun Chandhok.
“It underlines what we’ve been saying all day, the top four cars are in this fight.
“It should be unbelievably shut. I feel Qualifying goes to be completely sensational.”
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Sky Sports activities’ Karun Chandhok takes a have a look at Charles Leclerc’s pole lap from final 12 months’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Elsewhere, Mercedes’ George Russell was compelled to vary his engine forward of second follow and likewise had a sensor difficulty, so missed out on some observe time as he completed the session in ninth.
British teenager Oliver Bearman was tenth behind Russell and Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in second follow.
Bearman, 19, is in Kevin Magnussen’s seat this weekend’s because the Dane is banned because of hitting the restrict for penalty factors. Magnussen will return in Singapore subsequent week.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was seventh and Fernando Alonso was twelfth, with a number of drivers taking journeys down the Baku Metropolis Circuit run-off space however managing to keep away from the wall, not like Leclerc and Franco Colapinto in first follow.
Sky Sports activities F1’s dwell Azerbaijan GP schedule
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Look again at a number of the most dramatic moments to have taken place across the Baku Metropolis Circuit.
Saturday September 14
9.15am: Azerbaijan GP Apply Three (session begins 9.30am)
11.10am: F2 Dash
12.15pm: Azerbaijan GP Qualifying build-up
1pm: AZERBAIJAN GP QUALIFYING*
3pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
Sunday September 15
8.30am: F2 Function Race
10:30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan GP build-up*
12pm: The AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX*
2pm: Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan GP response
3pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally dwell on Sky Sports activities Predominant Occasion
Method 1 leaves mainland Europe for Baku and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
