Leclerc completes Baku pole hat-trick for Ferrari

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took pole position in Baku for the third year in a row at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday (Apr 28) with a scorching lap that ended Red Bull's run of qualifying domination.

The pole, in a session twice red-flagged early on due to crashes, was Ferrari's first of the Formula One season after Red Bull had qualified fastest in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen will line up alongside on the front row with his team mate Sergio Perez third.

Drivers will have another qualifying on Saturday for a standalone 100km sprint race that no longer determines Sunday's grid after a new format was agreed upon unanimously by teams this week.

Saturday will be the first of six sprints this year.

"It feels good ... It's good to be back on top," said Leclerc after whooping in delight over the team radio.

There was nothing to separate him and Verstappen after the initial flying laps, with both clocking one minute 40.445 seconds but the Red Bull driver on provisional pole due to setting his time first.

Leclerc made sure he got his second lap in first, lowering the benchmark to 1:40.203 - with Verstappen unable to beat it and ending up 0.188 slower.

"We came into the weekend thinking that it would be a great weekend if we were in front of Aston Martin and Mercedes in qualifying," said the Ferrari driver, whose teammate Carlos Sainz qualified fourth.

"And at the end, we are on pole, so it's a good surprise," added the Monegasque, who has yet to win at a circuit that has yet to see a repeat winner or indeed anyone not driving a Red Bull or a Mercedes.

"We must not forget that our car is probably behind the Red Bull, so it's going to be difficult to keep the lead. But that's the