'Not too bad' - Top 3 qualifiers for Azerbaijan GP react to 'really hard' circuit

It was quite a return to racing for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, grabbing pole position for Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

From the first and only practice session on Friday (28 April) morning, it was evident that Leclerc and Verstappen would battle it out to start Sunday's race at the front, with Perez with an outside chance of toppling his drivers he challenged for the 2021 Formula 1 Drivers' championship.

However, it wasn't to be for the Mexican as the Monegasque put his scarlet Ferrari on top with a sensational final attempt. Dutchman Verstappen is still within a chance of overtaking Leclerc come the race, giving fans the mouthwatering hope of a flag-to-flag duel.

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Speaking after qualifying, Leclerc admitted that he was surprised to have secured the position, with the team having hoped at least to close the gap to Aston Martin and Mercedes.

Leclerc: "For sure, I'm surprised. We thought it would be great to be in front of Aston Martin and Mercedes in qualifying," the Ferrari ace said.

"Really happy with the lap; the feeling was good since the start, so really happy. The pace seems strong; we know the car is good."

Verstappen, who will start the race behind Leclerc, remains confident of a strong race: "It's always tough here to put the whole lap together. Around here, it's just really hard. You are on the limit trying to make everything perfect. We know we have a very good race car, so all in all, it's not too bad."

Perez realises that the two drivers ahead of him are in a league of their own, given that he was almost 0.3 seconds off Leclerc's time. But like Verstappen, he is ready to go racing on a circuit that promotes overtaking.

"It was tricky in Q1 with the