Formula 1 starts on Sunday (April 30) in Baku.
Charles Leclerc was able to secure pole position, but has world champion Max Verstappen breathing down his neck.
The race in the live ticker.
Formula 1: Starting grid at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Stunk between Russell and Verstappen: collision during the sprint
Fans and drivers not very enthusiastic about the sprint format
This live ticker for the race (Sunday, from 1 p.m.) is continuously updated
Baku - For Max Verstappen, the start in the Formula 1 sprint race in Baku was not necessarily easy - George Russell came dangerously close to him.
Between Russell and Verstappen it banged in the sprint race - in two ways
So close that the two touched directly shortly after the start, in turn three, and the Dutchman was pushed lightly against the rails by the Briton.
This even created a hole in the Red Bull's side.
Verstappen was able to finish the race, but he was still angry.
Already during the race he made a few rants over the radio.
"How can it be that he damages my car and isn't penalized?!" So there was a lot of excitement even before the main race on Sunday!
Formula 1: Starting grid at the Azerbaijan GP
1. Leclerc | 2. Verstappen | 3. Perez | 4. Sainz |
5.Hamilton | 6. Alonso | 7. Norris | 8. Tsunoda |
9. Stroll | 10. Piastri | 11. Russell | 12.Ocon |
13. Albon | 14. Bottas | 15. Sargeant | 16.Zhou |
17. Hulkenberg | 18. Magnussen | 19. Gasly | 20. de Vries |
Verstappen calls Russell a 'moron'
But even after the race, Verstappen didn't seem to be over it, he wanted to talk to Russell, but that doesn't seem to have worked really well - when Russell rushed past him, Verstappen called a "moron" after him.
During the interview, he also made it clear that he found Russell's risk in the sprint race too high: "I just don't understand why you have to take so much risk.
[...] We all have cold tires.
It's easy to get on the brakes there.” However, Sunday is more important, and Verstappen knows that too - after all, he only has one car in front of him and the Red Bulls are still stronger than Ferrari in the race.
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George Russell and Max Verstappen after the sprint in Baku.
© IMAGO/Simon Galloway
Sprint format in Baku: Fans and drivers are not very enthusiastic
In Baku, the new sprint format took place for the first time on Saturday (April 29).
Qualifying for the race on Sunday therefore started on Friday, directly after a single free practice session.
Charles Leclerc was able to take pole there - even if it didn't necessarily look like it at the beginning.
However, with only one free practice session, the drivers didn't have much time to adjust to the car and the track - the rookies in particular would notice that, said Ralf Schumacher at
Sky
.
So far, fans on social media have not been particularly enthusiastic about the new format.
“In short, Saturday is just a show.
It's sad what is happening to our beloved sport," writes a fan on Instagram.
But Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen also summed up after the sprint qualifying: “It actually went quite well, I lost the rear a bit in the middle sector.
Otherwise the car was quite good.
But the new format is terrible!” Clear words from the Dutchman, enthusiasm definitely looks different - it remains to be seen whether the FIA will revise the format again.
(Ihe)
List of rubrics: © IMAGO/Simon Galloway