FASTEN your seatbelts Formula One fans as the light is about to turn green for the Azerbaijan GP – and you can almost guarantee a race full of drama.
Max Verstappen will be determined to overtake Charles Leclerc who starts in pole position, while Lewis Hamilton has some work to do from fifth.
However, Sergio Perez should be feeling confident enough to throw a spanner in the works after winning Saturday’s Sprint.
- Azerbaijan GP start time: 12pm BST
- Live stream: NOW TV
- TV channel: Sky Sports F1
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Follow all the action with our live blog below…
- Kieran Davies
Spaniard surprising the form guide
Before this season, Aston Martin had only one podium finish to their name.
Fernando Alonso is setting records race by race with her performances in the car this season, with three podiums in the calendar so far.
He is fast becoming the most impressive driver in an Aston Martin since 007.
- Kieran Davies
F1 start the pits for driving pair
Esteban Ocon and Niko Hulkenberg will start today's race from the pit lane.
Ocon needed to have work done to his car, with race rules stipulating he will start from the pit lane.
After an uninspiring qualifying and sprint race, the same was required from Hulkenberg's car meaning he will join Ocon in the pit lane.
- Kieran Davies
Hamilton looking to building on grid
Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to put some pressure on the race leaders from fifth place on the grid today:
Timing and getting into the rhythm is not easy on this track. In Q2, I struggled. Q3 run one was a really sweet lap. Just matched it on the second run, needed a little more time to get ahead of the Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
Credit: AFP
- Kieran Davies
Azerbaijan Grand Prix starting grid
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
7. Lando Norris (McLaren)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
10. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Kieran Davies
Ferrari focussed on challenge ahead
Speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc said:
For sure I'm surprised. We came into the weekend thinking it would be a great weekend if we are in front of Mercedes and Aston in qualifying and in the end we are on pole. I was very happy with the lap.
We must not forget our race car is still behind the Red Bulls so it will be difficult to keep the lead but that is the target.Charles LeclercFerrari
- Kieran Davies
Speedster will take some beating
Charles Leclerc has always excelled at speed tracks he underlined that so far this weekend with his performances in qualifying and the sprint race.
Despite losing the sprint race to sprint race to Sergio Perez, Leclerc showed he is one to be feared on speed tracks once again.
Sitting at the front of the grid, Verstappen will need to be at his best to dislodge the Ferrari driver.
- Kieran Davies
Welcome to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The fourth race of the F1 calendar takes place at the Baku City Circuit as drivers look to break the domination of Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship standings.
Charles Leclerc has had a season to forget so far, but he will not be forgetting his weekend in Azerbaijan so far.
Sitting in eighth place in the standings with a mere 13 points, not many people would have predicted the Monegasque driver to start on pole position, yet he managed to finish some 0.188 seconds faster than the world champion.
The Ferrari driver finished 0.813 seconds faster than his teammate Carlos Sainz to underpin how good his performance was in qualifying.
Sergio Perez managed to take third place, while Britain’s Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth place.
This is the first time a non-Red Bull driver will start in pole position in a Formula 1 race this season.
Fernando Alonso continued his good form in the Aston Martin as he booked sixth spot on the grid and will be looking to improve upon that when it comes to the race itself.
The Spaniard has claimed a podium finish in every race so far this season and will want to continue this form, breaking all sorts of records for Aston Martin in a Formula 1 season.
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