On Friday, the top four Formula 1 teams were separated by mere tenths of a second in Baku. Even without factoring in Charles Leclerc’s performance, this was still true during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying. Leclerc’s Ferrari was exceptional under braking and through the short, tight corners. Allowing him to secure pole position by over 0.3 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. His mastery of the high-speed, 90-degree corners and low-downforce set-up shone through.
Carlos Sainz praised Leclerc, noting that he made it seem like Ferrari was the fastest car, though most of Leclerc’s advantage came from his impeccable control during transitions between braking and acceleration. On a track with high-speed approaches and tight corners, this skill proved invaluable. Ferrari’s mechanical traits, especially on street circuits, allow Leclerc to excel. He dominated in Monaco earlier in the season and has consistently performed well at Baku.
Sainz, though fast in the other Ferrari, was about half a second slower than Leclerc, on par with Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and George Russell’s Mercedes. The difference between Friday and Saturday lay in how much extra Leclerc was able to extract from himself when it mattered.
Leclerc’s ability to finely balance throttle and braking allows him to preserve tyre grip better than his rivals. While others, like Sainz, Perez, and Verstappen, were impressive, Leclerc’s technique gave him the edge, particularly in the final turns where he gained the bulk of his advantage.
Even after crashing in FP1, Leclerc’s confidence remained unshaken. He hardly made any changes to his car, attributing his success to his natural rhythm with the Baku circuit. His rivals, including Piastri, Verstappen, and Russell, performed admirably but couldn’t quite match Leclerc’s smooth, flowing style.