Charles Leclerc on pole for F1 Azerbaijan GP, ​​Lando Norris struggles to finish 17th | Formula 1

After a run of success that saw Lando Norris catch Max Verstappen for the world title, the British driver was given a stark reminder of the scale of the task ahead of him in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Eliminated in 17th position in Baku, Norris’ title hopes were dealt a serious blow, and the damage was done even as his McLaren team were furious with the FIA.

Charles Leclerc took pole position with an impressive and dominant lap for Ferrari, his fourth consecutive lap on the track and his best chance of converting a lap into his first victory on the city streets. But it was behind him that the overall picture of the season was quickly redrawn. Verstappen, who leads Norris by 62 points with eight races remaining, looks set to extend his lead once again. The fact that the Dutchman finished only sixth is little consolation for a disappointed Norris, who will start in 16th after Esteban Ocon was disqualified from 13th for a fuel flow infringement.

Earlier in the weekend, talk around McLaren had been dominated by the suggestion that team orders could be used to advantage Norris over his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was second in Baku, but that was rendered moot in the blink of an eye on Saturday.

Norris’ final lap in Q3 perfectly demonstrated how quickly luck can change in F1. The team had taken the risk of not running Norris on fresh tyres in Q1, a questionable decision defended by team principal Andrea Stella, but with the track gaining grip at a furious pace, Norris was vulnerable as lap times improved and his final lap became vital.

On that crucial tour he was on course to improve until he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and the victim of what McLaren were convinced was the wrong decision.

Esteban Ocon had hit a wall and was driving slowly to complete a lap when Norris came off Turn 15 with the Frenchman crawling around 16. Norris was given a short yellow flag on the track monitor and backed off, but it only stayed there for a brief moment as the more appropriate white flag of a slow-moving car was then shown.

Norris confirmed he had raised his hand when he saw the warning. “Everyone else did their second lap, and I didn’t. I was just unlucky, that’s all,” he said.

Stella was less sanguine, describing the situation as “extremely costly” and said his team had taken the matter to the FIA. “There was a situation that ideally and according to the regulations should not have happened, we paid the price,” he said. “The flag was flown at the last minute, we checked our tools and it was a yellow flag, so we are in discussions with the FIA ​​to find out why it happened, because the yellow flag is not necessary when it is just a slow car out of order.”

The discussions will not change the outcome or the challenge Norris faces on Sunday. While a Verstappen win is unlikely, he can at least hope for help from his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished ahead of him in fourth.

Red Bull expect Perez to back Verstappen in his title bid and he is expected to act accordingly if he is able to help his team-mate move up the standings. McLaren, meanwhile, are looking to Piastri to play a role in stopping the world champion from scoring as many points as possible.

Up front, Leclerc was imperious and almost certainly untouchable, whatever Norris’s struggles. His final lap on a circuit he admits to loving driving was a spectacle to behold, pushing a recalcitrant Ferrari around the streets of Baku with a wonderful touch.

With a three-tenths lead over Piastri and team-mate Carlos Sainz in third, Leclerc is in position to claim a second consecutive victory as Norris mounts a challenge from the back of the grid that is vital to his title fight.

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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and seventh for Mercedes. Fernando Alonso finished eighth for Aston Martin, while Franco Colapinto finished ninth for Williams.

Alex Albon was extremely unlucky, his Williams being sent out onto track with a cooling fan still attached to his car, a serious operational failure by the team counting as an unsafe release, which is under investigation. He stopped and removed the fan himself, to continue trying to do one last lap, but did not have time to start it and finished 10th.

Briton Oliver Bearman once again showed great composure to take 11th for Haas ahead of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in 14th. The 19-year-old will make his F1 debut next year, but was replacing Kevin Magnussen, who was suspended for one race after reaching the maximum penalty points allowed at Monza. Bearman made his F1 debut in Saudi Arabia this season, replacing Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and starting seventh.

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Yuki Tsunoda was 12th for RB, after his penalty, Alpine’s Gasly will be relegated to the back of the grid from 13th and Lance Stroll 15th for Aston Martin.

Daniel Ricciardo finished 16th for RB, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu 18th and 19th for Sauber. Esteban Ocon finished 20th for Alpine.