That's something to watch out for at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Created: 06/12/2022, 05:01
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will start from pole position for the sixth time this season.
© Hamad Mohammed/Reuters/AP/dpa
The Baku street circuit has seen some chaotic races.
Can Charles Leclerc turn his pole position into a win?
Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher are hoping to catch up.
Baku – Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc wants to force a turnaround in the Formula 1 title race after the recent disappointments.
In Baku, the Monegasse will once again start from pole position on Sunday (1 p.m. / Sky).
But the Red Bull duo lurks right behind them.
Charles Leclerc's worries on Sunday
The Ferrari driver is a master of qualifying.
For the sixth time this season he is starting from the very beginning, for the fourth time in a row.
But his win rate from pole position is pretty mediocre.
Most recently he was unable to win in Miami, Barcelona or Monte Carlo.
In his career so far, 15 pole positions are offset by only four wins.
Max Verstappen, who has started 14 times, has already won 24 races.
In Baku, where Leclerc started first and finished fourth last year, the 24-year-old does not want to let others take precedence again this time.
Max Verstappen has internal competition
At Red Bull, the world champion is not the man of the hour.
After his victory in Monaco, Sergio Pérez was also second in qualifying from Baku, faster than World Championship leader Verstappen in third place.
"For us as a team, it couldn't be better than having two drivers who have a chance of winning the World Championship," said team boss Christian Horner.
He ruled out a stable order in favor of the defending champion at this point in the season.
In the overall standings, Verstappen is nine points ahead of Leclerc and 15 points ahead of Pérez.
Sebastian Vettel is a Baku expert
The street circuit on the Caspian Sea is in Hesse.
In five races Vettel was never worse than fourth place.
In the pre-season, after a chaotic Grand Prix, he achieved his best result to date in the Aston Martin by finishing second.
Vettel described his view of the demanding route as “a love-hate relationship”, which repeatedly experiences incidents due to the narrow passages in the old town.
"Everything is in here," said the 34-year-old.
With ninth place, Vettel secured a good starting position in qualifying.
Mick Schumacher has to catch up
After a frustrating Saturday, the Haas pilot once again took his father as a role model.
“My dad used to manage to start from the back and drive to the front.
There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to do the same," said Mick Schumacher, recalling some of Papa Michael's highlights.
The 23-year-old was the last to complete the qualification.
The recent series of accidents and the public criticism of his team boss put Schumacher under pressure.
“Baku is chaotic.
You can still score points from last place,” said the young star.
dpa
