McLaren driver forced to back off hot lap for yellow flagsVerstappen in sixth with chance to open gap to Norris
Charles Leclerc took pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a dominant lap in Baku for Ferrari but there was a shock for Lando Norris, whose Formula One world championship ambitions suffered a major blow as he qualified in 17th. His title rival Max Verstappen was in sixth for Red Bull, Oscar Piastri second for McLaren, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in third, and Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez in fourth. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were in fifth and seventh for Mercedes.
After closing the gap to Verstappen in recent races, this represents a major setback for Norris and McLaren. The team had taken a chance in not using new tyres for Norris’s first run in Q1. With the track gaining grip as the session opened, it left Norris vulnerable in the drop zone as lap times improved and made his final lap vital.
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