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SCMP Sport

Ferrari needed a boost after a tough start to the Formula One season and Charles Leclerc provided it with a surprise pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday.
The 25-year-old has had more success as a recording artist than as a racer so far in 2023, with his piano composition a streaming hit while he has taken only six points from three races.
“The whole team needed it,” the elated Monegasque said after qualifying in Baku for Sunday’s race.
“It is part of our job in Formula One, you need to deal with rumours and pressure. But it is obviously sometimes a bit more difficult to perform under those circumstances.”
World champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate were second and third, with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz Jnr in fourth.
There were mixed fortunes for Alfa Romeo, with China’s Zhou Guanyu missing out on the second stage of qualifying by 0.02 seconds. He will start from 16th on the grid, with teammate Valtteri Bottas two spots higher.

“We were really close to Q2, which would have been a better result, and it’s a bit upsetting to miss out for just a couple of hundredths, but that’s how racing goes sometimes,” Zhou said.
“The car felt pretty good this morning, during practice, but I couldn’t get the same feeling in qualifying. Overall, it’s been a tricky afternoon for me, as I struggled for grip throughout the session.
“Still, I feel we can unlock more performance from our car ahead of tomorrow, and we will be working hard to put ourselves back in the game ahead of the shootout and the sprint.”
Ferrari, the sport’s oldest and most successful team, drew a complete blank in Australia this month and also failed in a bid to have Carlos Sainz’s post-race penalty reviewed.
Leclerc spun out in Melbourne after contact with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
The announced exit of some senior staff has generated more headlines and speculation has swirled about the driver’s own future at Maranello and possible interest from Mercedes.

Friday’s session, with Saturday now fully devoted to a stand-alone sprint, ended Red Bull’s 100 per cent pole record for the season and brought Leclerc an unexpected third pole in a row in Baku.
“The lap today was really, really good and really on the limit. Everything I wanted to do, I did it,” Leclerc said.
His first flying lap in the final phase was exactly the same time as Max Verstappen’s, with Red Bull’s championship leader ahead by virtue of having gone first.
The Ferrari driver left nothing on the table second time around.
Leclerc said his car had no upgrade, other than a rear wing adapted to the characteristics of the track, but set-up tweaks had worked.
“I think we’ve done a great job with the set-up since Australia, we found something on that,” he added. “How much is it better, its very difficult to say for now. I think we’ll know a bit more on Sunday.”

Qualifying has always been his strong point, with nine poles last year but only three wins.
He has lined up third, second and seventh so far this year and his main target for the weekend had been to be ahead of Mercedes and Aston Martin.
As a man from Monaco, it is no surprise Leclerc is at home on street circuits hemmed in by walls and metal fences. Of his 19 career poles, two have been at home and two in Singapore.
“These are probably my three favourite tracks of the season,” he said.


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Formula One (F1)

Formula One: Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole provides much-needed boost for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc signs autographs for fans after qualifying at the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit. Photo: AFP

Alfa Romeo’s Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu steers his car during qualifying. Photo: AFP

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc talks to the media after qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Photo: AFP

Charles Leclerc steers his Ferrari around the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan. Photo: EPA-EFE

Formula One: officials shake up sprint race format in time for Azerbaijan Grand Prix, make 100km dash stand-alone event

Alfa Romeo’s Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou steers his car during the third practice session ahead of the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Photo: AFP

Magazine that used AI to fake interview with Michael Schumacher faces legal action from Formula One great’s family

Copies of the edition of German weekly magazine Die Aktuelle with the cover announcing a fake interview with Michael Schumacher sit on a shelf at a news agent in Berlin. Photo: EPA-EFE

A woman reads the edition of German weekly magazine Die Aktuelle with the cover announcing a fake interview with Michael Schumacher. Photo: EPA-EFE

Sport

Motorsport

Elated Leclerc says result in Friday’s qualifying was something ‘whole team needed’
With Saturday now fully devoted to a stand-alone sprint, the result ended Red Bull’s 100 per cent pole record for the season


Elated Charles Leclerc says result in qualifying for Azerbaijan Grand Prix was something ‘whole team needed’.


Formula One: Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole provides much-needed boost for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari

Elated Leclerc says result in Friday’s qualifying was something ‘whole team needed’ With Saturday now fully devoted to a stand-alone sprint, the result ended Red Bull’s 100 per cent pole record for the season

Elated Leclerc says result in Friday’s qualifying was something ‘whole team needed’

With Saturday now fully devoted to a stand-alone sprint, the result ended Red Bull’s 100 per cent pole record for the season