Leclerc claims pole position for Azerbaijan Grand Prix

BAKU, Azerbaijan: Charles Leclerc is back on pole. Now comes the tricky task of converting it into a win.

Leclerc won the pole for the fourth consecutive race with a blistering lap around the Baku street circuit in Azerbaijan on Saturday, but the Ferrari driver failed to convert any of his last three pole positions into victories.

Leclerc ran a lap at 1 minute, 41.359 seconds with his last run of the session to beat Sergio Perez of Red Bull by .282 seconds. Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen qualified third in the other Red Bull, .347 off Leclerc’s pace.

Leclerc has been first or second in every qualifying session this year, but has not won a race since the Australian Grand Prix in April. Verstappen won three consecutive races and Perez won in Monaco two weeks ago.

“All pole positions feel good but this one, I probably did not expect it,” Leclerc said. He said Red Bull’s cars seem faster “but then in the last lap everything came together.”

Leclerc started from pole the last three races but was passed by Verstappen in Miami, retired with car problems in Spain — where reigning champion Verstappen won to pass Leclerc for the standings lead — and dropped to fourth at his home race in Monaco after a botched strategy call by Ferrari. He was also on pole in Azerbaijan last year, when he finished fourth.

Pérez was the winner in Azerbaijan last year and is coming off his victory in the Monaco Grand Prix. He was upbeat about his chances in Sunday’s race, but admitted he was lucky in qualifying after tapping the wall.

“I hit it quite hard a few times but it seems to be very strong, the car, this year,” he said. “I was lucky not to crash because I was over the limit a bit too much and just trying too much.”

Pére