AS IT HAPPENED
After three follow classes stuffed with incidents and drama, there was extra to come back in qualifying when Norris suffered a shock Q1 exit and missed out on the possibility to battle for pole, which finally went Leclerc’s means because the Ferrari man prolonged his unbelievable Baku run.
A few penalties would transfer Norris from P17 to P15, although, with Thirteenth-placed Gasly being disqualified from the session over a gasoline circulation breach and seventh-placed Hamilton dropping to the again by way of new energy unit parts – one thing Ocon and Zhou additionally opted to tackle.
When groups eliminated the tyre blankets from their automobiles on the grid, it was revealed that almost all of drivers can be beginning on Pirelli’s yellow-marked medium compound, with Albon, Ricciardo, Norris, Zhou, Gasly and Ocon going for the white-marked hards.
Because the lights went out, pole-sitter Leclerc made a clear getaway to maintain his benefit over Piastri into Flip 1, whereas each Pink Bulls have been on the transfer as Perez acquired the leap on Sainz and Verstappen cleared Russell below braking for the second nook.
Behind them, Alonso, Colapinto, Albon and Bearman all held station within the tail-end of the highest 10, as Norris instantly acquired right down to enterprise to rise to twelfth by the tip of the opening lap, slipping previous a number of rivals and benefitting from an early puncture for Stroll.
