Updated at 11.50 BST The temperature is 27 degrees in Baku, which is hot, but it has also become warmer, as the national anthem of Azerbaijan is heard. Gary Naylor admires the landscape: “The sunrise over the Caspian Sea from the Old Town of Baku is very spectacular, but it seems that they have put several obstacles in the way of one of the most ancient views of mankind.” Last year’s GP of Azerbaijan was very dramatic, you may remember. The match was won by Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, a great move for his second win in F1, but was overshadowed by the drama where both title stars, Hamilton and Max Verstappen, failed to win a point. Verstappen suffered a tire failure late in the race, which cost him a possible victory, and Hamilton made an extremely unusual mistake of falling from second to 15th place in the penultimate round. Both incidents will lead to serious investigations. Lewis Hamilton continues to fight, but that does not mean he will not continue to fight for what he believes. FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem sparked controversy this week when it was reported that in the days of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost they just rode and drove, while modern drivers use F1 as a platform, referring to people like Hamilton. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Britain’s Lando Norris speak openly about human rights, LGBQT + support and mental health. F1 split with FIA deepens after controversial decisions in MonacoRead more In Azerbaijan on Friday, Hamilton stressed that he had no intention of backing down and urged more drivers to get involved. “Formula 1 continues to be an important platform for us to use our voices,” he said. “For each of us here to do more, to talk more, to spark more discussions. Creating an inclusive environment is very important and the focus is on creating better diversity within your body and within the sport. But it is moving slowly. “I encourage all drivers to be more honest and talk about what interests them.” Tony Dodgins referred to yesterday’s qualifiers. Leclerc is also a dynamite at the demanding 3.7 miles and is the first person to take more than one pole position on the track. Characteristic of the season was Ferrari’s superiority in a single lap, but Red Bull’s advantage in racing investment, stronger straight-line speed and more gentle use of tires that often allow Verstappen to repair the Leclerc. However, Leclerc, who suffered only from the questionable strategy of Ferrari racing in Monaco, remains optimistic. “The pole lap felt very good,” he said. “I’m excited about the fight. Tire management is a big thing here and when we introduced a car upgrade in Spain, we took a step forward, which we failed to see in Monaco. I’m excited about the fight. “ The standings of the F1 2022 Drivers’ Championship in front of Baku
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 125 2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 116 3 Sergio Perez Red Bull 110 4 George Russell Mercedes 84 5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 83 6 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 50 7 Lando Norris McLaren 48 8 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 40 9 Esteban Ocon Alpine 30 Kevin Magnussen Haas 15 = 11 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 11 = 11 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 11 13 Fernando Alonso Alpine 10 14 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 6 15 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 5 16 Alex Albon Williams 3 17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 2 18 Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo 1
Final positions after qualifying:
1 Charles Leclerc (Mon.) Ferrari 1 minute 41,359 seconds 2 Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1: 41.641 3 Max Ferstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1: 41,706 4 Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Ferrari 1: 41,814 5 George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1: 42.712 6 Pierre Gasly (Fr) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1: 42.845 7 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1: 42.924 8 Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1: 43.056 9 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Aston Martin 1: 43.091 10 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Alpine 1: 43.173 11 Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren 1: 43.398 12 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) McLaren 1: 43.574 13 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1: 43.585 14 Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Alfa Romeo Racing 1: 43.790 15 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1: 44.444 16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1: 44.643 17 Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1: 44.719 18 Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1: 45.367 19 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1: 45.371 20 Mick Schumacher (Ger) Haas F1 1: 45.775
Preamble
Charles Leclerc at the pole, a familiar story, can now turn it into a victory. He starts at the top of the grid for the sixth time this season, having turned only two of them into victories. Sergio Perez, the winner in Monaco for the last time out when Leclerc cursed his team for their pit strategy, is second and Max Verstappen is third as Ferrari and Red Bull continue to be in front of him. grid. The title race is near, although Ferrari can not turn its superiority into a lap over the big form. Red Bell continues to be stronger at straight speeds. Behind them, that George Russell is faster than Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes is an ongoing secondary plot, but the action, the juice is likely to be ahead. Behind them, the narrow and often picturesque streets of Baku will probably launch some scenarios that the protagonists will have to negotiate. The lights come on at 12 p.m. United Kingdom time. Come with me.
