Lando Norris faces an uphill activity in an enormous day for the F1 title race on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he begins seventeenth for Sunday’s race in Baku.
Norris had a disastrous Qualifying as he was eradicated in Q1 as a result of confusion with yellow flags, which compelled him to desert his lap as different drivers improved and faces the probability of his 62-point deficit to Max Verstappen growing.
However Verstappen will solely begin the race in sixth as Crimson Bull’s struggles continued, and the Dutchman was outqualified by team-mate Sergio Perez for the primary time for the reason that 2023 Miami Grand Prix.
With each title contenders within the thick of the motion on the tight, twisty Baku Metropolis Circuit, Sunday’s race, at 12pm on Sky Sports activities F1 and Major Occasion, will nearly definitely be pivotal within the title race.
“Lando knows he has a quick car and Red Bull will suffer in a straight line with a big wing,” mentioned 1997 F1 world champion and Sky Sports activities F1’s particular visitor pundit Jacques Villeneuve.
“Max is beginning sixth and will have a problem at the beginning and never rating factors, then Lando finishes seventh or eighth and scores a number of factors.
“It’s not over in the championship battle. If Verstappen was on pole, it would be a different story.”
The lengthy runs in Friday apply prompt Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Crimson Bull had been evenly matched.
A one-stop race is anticipated because of the low tyre degradation however there was a Security Automotive or Digital Security Automotive at each Azerbaijan Grand Prix since 2017.
Verstappen shall be relieved that Norris is in the direction of the rear of the grid, as Oscar Piastri proved McLaren had a automobile that was ok for the entrance row behind pole-siter Charles Leclerc.
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Lando Norris says he needed to elevate on his ultimate flying lap due to a yellow flag following his shock Q1 exit however continues to be eager for a optimistic consequence on Sunday
Villeneuve feels Verstappen’s essential focus shall be on Norris and easily outscoring the British driver.
“You could see the car in qualifying was quite understeery, which is not something he likes,” he added. “To fix their rear end, that’s very nasty – they need to have a bit of understeer which suits Perez better.
“Max would not prefer it, he would not wish to arrange the automobile that method. It isn’t a very good signal for the race. Listening to Checo, he did not appear to have a lot confidence in him for the race too.
“They have the biggest rear wing of the whole field. That in the race, with the straight line, cannot be a good thing.”
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Max Verstappen says Crimson Bull couldn’t discover the precise answer to resolve the problems they confronted with the automobile in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
As for Norris, a 3rd win of the season is off the desk and the 24-year-old should restrict the harm.
“There’s a long race ahead. We have some good tyres in the bank,” he mentioned.
“I’m still hopeful we can get a good result. I think the car is quick.”
May Leclerc give himself an outdoor shot in title race?
After taking a shock victory in Monza two weeks in the past, Leclerc’s dominance on Saturday seems to have confirmed Ferrari are very legitimately again within the combine on the entrance of the grid.
Not solely did the Monegasque ship two laps ok for pole, however his team-mate Carlos Sainz, who has beforehand struggled in Baku, was in a position to strengthen Ferrari’s place by claiming third behind McLaren’s Piastri.
Whereas all the main target has been on Norris chasing down Verstappen, Leclerc may leapfrog the Brit on Sunday if he had been to win the race and the McLaren driver went pointless.
Ferrari may additionally surge again into the Constructors’ Championship battle, with the Italian squad simply 39 factors again from Crimson Bull, who lead McLaren by eight factors.
“Let’s say it’s the best we could have hoped for,” mentioned Leclerc, who’s 86 factors behind Verstappen within the Drivers’ Championship.
“I mean normally the even side of the grid has a little bit less grip, so first and third is where you want to start, and hopefully we can play a team game to win that race.
“However it will be a protracted race. Up to now we had been very robust in Qualifying however struggling a bit within the race. This 12 months now we have a stronger race automobile, so I hope that we are able to lastly make it.”
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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc takes a superb fourth Azerbaijan pole in a row, beating Oscar Piastri by three tenths of a second, with Crimson Bull’s Max Verstappen down in sixth!
Leclerc’s victory in Monza was constructed upon an audacious one-stop technique that noticed him brilliantly handle his tyres to beat a McLaren front-row lockout.
With a one-stop technique the probably order of the day in Baku on Sunday, Leclerc says he is able to utilise his ‘tyre whispering’ abilities as soon as extra.
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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz displays on all the large speaking factors from Qualifying in Azerbaijan
“Tyre management will be a big thing as well, so we’ve got to do a good job,” he added.
“We’ve done a really good job in Monza. But we have to reset every race as we do, and that’s what we did.
“Sunday is one other race with different points, though tyre degradation is there. It is with completely different tyres so you have to adapt to that, and we’ll do our homework to prepare.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s dwell Azerbaijan GP schedule
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Look again at a few of the most dramatic moments to have taken place across the Baku Metropolis Circuit
Sunday September 15
8.30am: F2 Function Race
10:30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan GP build-up*
12pm: The AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX*
2pm: Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan GP response
3pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally dwell on Sky Sports activities Major Occasion
Method 1 leaves mainland Europe for Baku and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this Sunday at 12pm, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
