Formula 1
LECLERC BEATS THE TWO RED BULLS FOR POLE IN BAKU MAX SETTLES FOR P2 WITH PEREZ P3 FERNANDO HIT WITH DRS ISSUES P6
Leclerc admitted after qualifying that it was a “really good surprise” to take pole, believing a good result would have been beating the Mercedes and Aston Martin cars. He can take a good deal of credit for making something better happen!
Leclerc admitted after qualifying that it was a “really good surprise” to take pole.
Max: “It’s not the easiest to go to the limit around this track and it’s also tough to get the tyres in the right window. I think we kept it quite clean today and we progressed nicely, overall, we can be pleased. Of course, we want to be on pole but it’s about the bigger picture. Charles looks pretty competitive this weekend, he always does in Baku. There are a few characteristics of the track that suit Ferrari and there are others that suit us better.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – APRIL 28: Second placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing attends the press conference after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on April 28, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
There’s no big drama. I was happy with the setup of the car and I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it will be good to see what we can improve on and do better. We need to have straightforward sessions tomorrow, it’s super easy to make a mistake around here. We have a good race car and the points are scored tomorrow and on Sunday, so that’s what we’ll focus on.”
Checo:“It was pretty intense from the moment Q1 started, nailing that first lap was critical and it made our Q1 a little more stressful than it should be with all the red flags and making sure we kept on the same tyres. My final lap in Q3 wasn’t ideal so with that I am disappointed, but the important thing is to be strong on Sunday. I feel a lot more confident in the car this weekend.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – APRIL 28: Pole position qualifier Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari and Third placed qualifier Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing attend the press conference after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on April 28, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
I am looking forward to tomorrow, getting some more lap times in and getting a cleaner lap in the Sprint Shootout. Charles did a tremendous job this evening, this weekend has been challenging already with the new format, we have a change of tarmac here too and we have just come from a three-week break and jumped straight into it. It is really nice to see the level everyone in the Team is working at, the engineers and the mechanics.”
action, TS-Live, Baku City Circuit, GP2304a, F1, GP, Azerbaijan
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23
Machismo:“I am satisfied with sixth position on the grid for Sunday after we lost a little bit of performance today with a DRS issue. It’s a long weekend ahead of us and there are plenty of opportunities with this new format, so hopefully we can make up some positions and perform well tomorrow in the Sprint. It’s very close between a number of teams, so we’ll need to try and be more consistent throughout the rest of the weekend. It’s exciting to know we are waking up tomorrow and jumping straight into the car for another qualifying session.”