Lando Norris’ championship hopes take hit after 17th place finish in qualifying

Lando Norris could qualify only in 17th for Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, further denting his championship hopes.

The McLaren has been the fastest overall car in the past few months, and Norris has taken 16 points out of Max Verstappen’s title lead since the return from the summer break.

However, the Briton could only watch on as his team-mate Oscar Piastri secured a front-row start alongside Ferrari polesitter Charles Leclerc.

A glimmer of light for Norris is that Verstappen struggled again and qualified down in sixth, nearly seven-tenths off Leclerc’s pace and behind team-mate Sergio Perez for the first time in 2024. Carlos Sainz took third for Ferrari with Perez fourth, Russell fifth and Lewis Hamilton down in seventh, behind his Mercedes team-mate for the 13th time this season.

Norris believed his final lap in Q1 would have been good enough to get him comfortably through into Q2, but he failed to complete it, instead coming into the pit lane after a yellow flag brought out by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine meant he had to back off.

“Everyone did their second laps and I didn’t. Just unlucky, that’s all. I had to lift, so... I’m going to have to hope [that anything can happen in the race]. It is what it is but a long race ahead,” Norris said.

“I am still hopeful we can get a good result, I think the car is quick. I think the lap I was on, I could easily have gone second. A bit frustrating, but nothing I can do.”

Much of the talk heading into this weekend had been about McLaren belatedly favouring Norris over his team-mate Piastri as he seeks to close down Verstappen, who is 62 points ahead in the standings.

McLaren declined to swap their drivers’ positions on the final lap in Monza, even when it became clear Piastri could not catch winner Leclerc. That would have given Norris an extra three world championship points but his race target on Sunday will likely be damage limitation, with his team-mate starting 15 places in front of him and Verstappen 11 slots ahead on the grid.

The Baku City Circuit has often thrown up unpredictable races with numerous red flags and safety cars over its seven editions and Norris will have to hope that these can come to his aid on Sunday as he tries to fight back to the front of the pack.

There was also a bizarre moment as the final runs got under way in Q3 with Alexander Albon’s Williams sent out on to the track with the cooling fan still attached to his airbox. The Thai driver managed to remove it himself after some effort, but it cost him a chance at improving on his 10th position.

For Leclerc, who was 0.321sec ahead of Piastri, it was his fourth consecutive pole position at this track and follows his fine victory in Italy a fortnight ago. Yet he has failed to convert any of those into victories, with his best result being the third he took last year.

“The pace was there. In qualifying and Q3, it was about staying away from the walls, but the last lap I went for it. It’s amazing to be on pole,” the Monegasque said.

“Normally, the even side of the grid has a bit less grip so first and third [where team-mate Sainz is] is where you want to start. Hopefully we can play the team game tomorrow but it’s going to be a long race. This year we have a stronger race car so I hope we can make it through to tomorrow.”

Verstappen, who qualified outside of the top five for the second race in a row, bemoaned a set-up change before qualifying on another difficult afternoon.

“We made some changes going into qualifying which made it harder to drive and not so connected with the tarmac. Somehow it suddenly became very loose mid-corner and that caught me out in the first run in Q3,” he said.

“The combination of Ferrari and Charles around here is very strong. Today we didn’t optimise it. We thought what we changed on the car going into qualifying would make it better but unfortunately it went the other way.”

Leclerc takes pole with Norris only 17th: As it happened

02:33 PM BST

I wouldn’t say all is lost for Norris tomorrow

But he will need an outside event that helps him, whether that is a red flag, VSC or full safety car. Or, say, Verstappen getting involved in a crash at the start and not finishing. That Verstappen starts sixth is a small ray of light for Norris.

02:23 PM BST

26 pole positions for Charles Leclerc now

Here are the top 10 all-time polesitters:

1. Lewis Hamilton 104

2. Michael Schumacher 68

3. Ayrton Senna 65

4. Sebastian Vettel 57

5. Max Verstappen 40

6. Jim Clark 33

7. Alain Prost 33

8. Nigel Mansell 32

9. Nico Rosberg 30

10. Juan Manuel Fangio 29

02:14 PM BST

Watch: Williams send Albon out with cooling fan in airbox

02:11 PM BST

Leclerc reacts to another pole at Baku... no wins yet though

02:09 PM BST

Piastri on another front-row start

02:08 PM BST

Sainz reacts to third and he seems happy with that

02:06 PM BST

I suspect that, despite being 11 places ahead of Norris...

...Verstappen will be pretty annoyed at that. Perez (who, to be fair is good around this track), was two places and two tenths ahead of him. That is a astonishingly rare occurrence.

02:05 PM BST

Q3 - Classification

1. LEC 1:41.365

2. PIA +0.321

3. SAI +0.440

4. PER +0.448

5. RUS +0.509

6. VER +0.658

7. HAM +0.924

8. ALO +1.004

9. COL +1.165

10. ALB +1.494

Good effort from Colapinto. And Alonso for that matter.

02:03 PM BST

CHARLES LECLERC TAKES POLE FOR THE 2024 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX

Four poles in a row here now. 0.321sec ahead of Piastri and then Sainz, Perez, Russell and Verstappen.

His strong form from Monza continues.

“Let’s go!” he says.

02:02 PM BST

Q3 - Leclerc improves again!

Surely pole is his now? Verstappen looks like he will stay sixth! Perez loses time in the middle sector. Verstappen improves to fifth but can Perez beat that? Yes, he can and he is into fourth!

02:01 PM BST

Q3 - Russell improves but stays fourth

Hamilton stays seventh. Piastri? Only second! Leclerc on a good lap, Verstappen not so much. Perez is, though.

02:01 PM BST

Q3 - Final runs under way

Russell doesn’t look like he will improve but for a mighty final sector. Hamilton likewise... Piastri sets the fastest middle sector, though.

02:00 PM BST

Q3 - Albon incident below has been noted as unsafe release

Wonder if he will pick up a penalty. I’d say it’s quite likely. He has now moved away, by the way. Not sure he will have enough time to get round to complete a lap, though.

01:59 PM BST

Q3 - Albon goes out with his airbox fan still in

He pulls to the end of the pit lane but I am not sure what the procedure is here. Can a marshal get it out? I am not sure. We have double waved yellows. He reaches behind him and takes it out and now is gesturing to the marshal to remove it from the car. He slides it off the sidepod but still hasn’t pulled away. This is all very strange.

01:56 PM BST

Q3 - Order after the first runs

1. LEC 1:41.610

2. SAI +0.205

3. PIA +0.217

4. RUS +0.352

5. PER +0.435

6. VER +0.658

7. HAM +0.889

8. ALB +1.249

9. COL +1.280

10. ALO +1.404

01:55 PM BST

Q3 - Verstappen lacking the pace here it seems

He crosses the line in fifth 0.658sec off Leclerc’s pace. Perez then beats him by a couple of tenths. Hmm.

Replays show Verstappen got a tank slapper on in turn 16, costing him a few tenths at least. A bit more to come, perhaps. If he can string it together, that is.

01:54 PM BST

Q3 - Russell sets a 1:41.962

Hamilton more than half a second off that. Piastri gets ahead of them both on a used set of tyres with Leclerc then beating that on new tyres by a couple of tenths. Sainz slots into second 0.205sec off his team-mate.

01:52 PM BST

Q3 begins

We will find out who has the ultimate pace now. I think it will be a battle between Ferrari and Red Bull. Mercedes not looking quite at the races.

01:50 PM BST

That is a very fine session for Bearman

Hulkenberg is a fine qualifier and Bearman had his measure, though just missed out on Q3. Points on the cards tomorrow for the Briton, definitely. Bouncing back well after a crash in FP3.

01:45 PM BST

Both Williams cars in Q3

Not sure the last time that happened. But, either way, a great performance from Colapinto in just his second F1 race.

01:44 PM BST

Q2 - Classification

1. VER 1:42.042

2. LEC +0.014

3. PER +0.221

4. RUS +0.287

5. ALO +0.384

6. COL +0.431

7. SAI +0.461

8. PIA +0.556

9. HAM +0.723

10. ALB +0.798

01:42 PM BST

Q2 ends - Verstappen fastest

OUT: Bearman, Tsunoda, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Stroll.

01:42 PM BST

Q2 - Both Aston Martins in the drop zone here

Hamilton goes seventh. Will that be enough? Bearman in 11th for Haas, can he improve? Colpainto into fifth! Bearman into 10th! Will that be enough? It might be... but it’s not, as Alonso improves to fifth. Bearman is out, sadly. But he might be able to qualify ahead of Hulkenberg.

01:39 PM BST

Q2 - Leclerc complaining about missing the tow

That could be crucial. Sainz says that Leclerc keeps “missing” it. Not really sure what is happening with those two.

01:37 PM BST

Q2 - Here’s how it stands as we enter the final four minutes

1. VER

2. LEC

3. PER

4. SAI

5. PIA

6. RUS

7. BEA

8. ALB

9. HAM

10. HUL
    DROP ZONE:

11. COL

12. ALO

13. GAS

14. TSU

15. STR

01:35 PM BST

Q2 - Ferrari currently sixth and ninth

Sainz the faster of the two. Don’t think this is entirely representative of their ultimate pace, going on used tyres I believe in their first runs.

01:34 PM BST

Q2 - Drivers in the drop zone

Colapinto, Alonso, Gasly, Tsunoda and Stroll.

01:31 PM BST

Q2 - Piastri leading the way early on

Russell and then Bearman. What can the two Red Bull drivers do? Verstappen fastest with a 1:42.0 with Perez a couple of tenths down. Piastri loses a bot of time at turn 15 with the rear stepping out and glancing the wall on the exit of the corner.

01:28 PM BST

Q2 begins - A few dodgy releases in the pit lane

Russell is lucky not to collide with both Piastri and Colapinto, though I think those situations always look worse than they are.

01:27 PM BST

Norris reacts after Q1 eliminated

01:25 PM BST

Wonder whether McLaren will change a lot of parts on Norris’s car here

He will be starting from near the back, there is a chance of overtaking and a safety car here so it’s not unsalvagable.

01:23 PM BST

Q1 - Classification

1. LEC 1:42.775

2. ALB +0.124

3. PIA +0.258

4. GAS +0.313

5. HAM +0.314

6. VER +0.322

7. HUL +0.326

8. COL +0.363

9. RUS +0.364

10. PER +0.438

11. TSU +0.562

12. SAI +0.582

13. STR +0.595

14. BEA +0.696

15. ALO +0.697
    ELIMINATED: 

16. RIC

17. NOR

18. BOT

19. ZHO

20. OCO

01:21 PM BST

Q1 ends - Norris is out!

Oh dear, oh dear. “Mate I’m sorry,” comes the message on the radio. There were yellow flags in the final sector but he had to back off after nearly putting it into the wall at turn 16.

01:20 PM BST

Q1 - Verstappen momentarily in the drop zone

He has no tow on the pit straight but moves up into third with a decent lap, 0.322sec off Leclerc’s mega lap. Albon currently second. Could we see both Williams cars in Q3 today? Colapinto in sixth. Gasly into third! Norris in 16th! He is in the drop zone as it stands and there are yellow flags in sector three... that is where Norris is. Will that affect his lap?

He comes into the pits!

01:17 PM BST

Q1 - Two minutes remain

Track improvement is strong here, Tsunoda in fourth (with the fastest middle sector) and Bottas in 10th now. Alonso has moved into the drop zone and we have yellow flags in sector two which may affect Verstappen’s lap. It’s green now so it will not. It’s not an especially fast first sector, though, 0.243sec off Leclerc’s first sector time.

01:16 PM BST

Q1 - Top 10 as it stands

1. LEC 1:42.775

2. RUS +0.364

3. PER +0.438

4. HAM +0.661

5. SAI +0.742

6. COL +0.770

7. NOR +0.834

8. PIA +0.848

9. VER +0.869

10. ALB +1.181

01:15 PM BST

Q1 - Drivers in the drop zone

Stroll, Ocon, Bottas, Ricciardo, Zhou.

01:13 PM BST

Q1 - Russell down in 17th currently having moved onto the softs

Plenty of time left as Perez improves again with a 1:43.213 which is more than 0.3sec faster than second-placed man Sainz. That said, Leclerc obliterates that time by 0.438sec.

01:12 PM BST

Q1 - Piastri and Norris improve

But not enough to get on the front two rows. Colapinto up there in third at the moment for Williams which is a little surprising.

Yellow flags in sector one... Sainz has gone straight on at turn two but reverses back onto the track.

01:10 PM BST

Q1 - Sainz up into second

He is within a tenth of Perez. So it is currently Red Bull, Ferrari, Ferrari, Red Bull.

Bottas, Ricciardo, Gasly, Zhou and Ocon in the bottom five. 

01:08 PM BST

Q1 - Norris nearly half a second off Perez’s pace at the moment

Here is the current top 10:

1. PER

2. LEC

3. VER

4. PIA

5. NOR

6. ALO

7. COL

8. ALB

9. HAM

10. STR

Verstappen complains that the car is “jumping around like crazy” on the rear axle.

01:07 PM BST

Q1 - Perez on a very good lap

He looks likely to beat team-mate Verstappen and he does so by 0.208sec. The two Williams behind but by about 0.7sec. Leclerc then splits the Red Bulls with a 1min43.595. Piastri four tenths off Perez’s time.

01:05 PM BST

Q1 - 13 mins remain

Tsunoda leads the way of the seven drivers who have set a lap time so far but none of them are from the top teams.

01:03 PM BST

Both Mercedes drivers out on the medium tyre in Q1

Everyone else out on the soft tyres as the first flying laps get under way.

01:01 PM BST

Right, we are ready to get going in Q1

18 minutes in this qualifying session, 20 drivers in it and five to be eliminated at the end of it.

12:54 PM BST

Five most recent pole-sitters in Baku

• 2023 – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

• 2022 – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

• 2021 – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

• 2019 – Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes

• 2018 – Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari

Leclerc probably should have taken pole in 2019 too, in fairness but for this crash.

12:44 PM BST

Current constructor standings

McLaren now favourites for this, surely. But who knows what the other three teams can do between now and the end of the season?

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12:38 PM BST

Current driver standings

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For what it’s worth I think McLaren’s development path has outpaced their ambitions. No question they should have swapped Piastri and Norris for second and third on the final lap of the Italian Grand Prix a fortnight ago. Of course, if Norris doesn’t make inroads into Verstappen in the next couple of races then I think McLaren can probably go back to focusing on the constructors’ and not prioritising Norris. But one Verstappen DNF could change the picture again.

12:33 PM BST

The biggest news this week...

...and since Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari for 2025, is that Aston Martin have signed Adrian Newey from 2025 onwards (well, from March 2025). Read more on that here.

12:16 PM BST

Not the best session for Oliver Bearman

The Briton stood in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari earlier in the year and is doing so for Kevin Magnussen at Haas this race, having secured a full-time race seat for 2025.

12:11 PM BST

Times after third practice

1. George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1mins 42.514secs

2. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:42.527

3. Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:42.737

4. Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:42.749

5. Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:42.862

6. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Ferrari 1:42.968

7. Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:43.024

8. Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:43.194

9. Franco Colapinto (Arg) Williams 1:43.238

10. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:43.301

11. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:43.474

12. Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) RB 1:43.503

13. Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:43.571

14. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) RB 1:43.870

15. Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:43.876

16. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas F1 1:44.164

17. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Kick Sauber 1:44.187

18. Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Kick Sauber 1:44.869

19. Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Haas F1 No Time Set

20. Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine No Time Set

11:58 AM BST

Good morning

Welcome to our live coverage for the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from Baku. This race has either been brilliant or boring since it came onto the calendar in 2016. Plenty of crashes, unexpected results and controversy on the street circuit. Overall, I think as a racing spectacle, it justifies its place on the calendar.

What can we expect from this weekend? More of the same, I guess. It’s fortunate now that “more of the same” means that the order is difficult to predict rather than watching Max Verstappen march relentlessly to the title.

McLaren, it seems, have finally woken up to the fact that they are in contention for not just the constructors’ championship but also the drivers’ championship, with Lando Norris taking 16 points out of Verstappen’s lead since we returned from the summer break. It could have been more, arguably, but the current 62-point margin does not seem so enormous as it once was.

If Norris continues to eat into the Dutchman’s lead at the same rate then he will end up champion at the end of the season. Of course, that relies largely on Red Bull underperforming with their lead car as much as Norris getting the most out of his McLaren. He did not do that in Monza, and that was a bit of a blow considering Verstappen finished outside of the top six.

Final practice finished about 90 minutes ago and it was George Russell who topped the timesheets for Mercedes, less than a tenth of a second ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Norris was third, a couple of tenths off the pace, marginally ahead of team-mate OScar Piastri and then Verstappen.

Qualifying is always important but here? Well, given the nature of the races with numerous safety cars, crashes and overtaking opportunities it is not so critical. Still, you’d rather be first than seventh...

The action gets under way in Baku in around an hour and we will be here for all of the build-up, live updates and reaction from it.