Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Lance Stroll among worst drivers in quali but who were the best?

Lance Stroll endured a shocking F1 qualifying outing with two crashes in two laps. Here’s who underperformed and overperformed in Baku at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll

Stroll scored his maiden F1 podium back in 2017 at the Azerb🔜aijan Grand Prix whiꦚle driving for Williams.

W🌳hile the Canadian has had his critics over the years, Stroll has established himself as a solid midfield driver.

Stroll won the ra♏ce head-to-head with four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2021.

However, it appears that he’s gone backwards in terms of peܫrformance in 2022 with Vettel continuing to thrive.

Up at the front, Charles Leclerc produced another stunning lap to claim a 🐻fourth successive pole position ah🉐ead of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, with Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz down in four💦th.

Here’s who had a difficult day at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix...

Lance Stroll - Qualified 19th

Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit,
Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand…

Crashing in Baku is a common occurrence but in the manner that Stroll did during qualifying was inexcusable꧃. 

Down in the elimination zone, Stroll was trying to get out in Q1 to avoid a t🎶hird straight elimination.

With just under four minutes on the clock, Stroll clattered th♛e wall at Turn 7 after lock✱ing the rears.

He managed to flat-spot his tyres but continued with𒆙out any🐼 apparent damage.

Strꦰoll didn’t learn from his mistake as just moments later, he collided with the wall on the entry into Turn 2, destroying the front end of his car and bringing out the red flag in the process.

Two amateur mistakes from Stroll 🐻in a car that should be qualifying in𒐪 the top 10.

Mick Schumacher - Qualified 20th

Mick Schumacher (GER) Haas VF-22. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit,
Mick Schumacher (GER) Haas VF-22. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix,…

The oꦛnly positive for Mick Schumacher was that he didn’t heavily shunt his Haa♌s F1 car.

Following his latest crash in Monaco, Haas boss Guenther Steiner warned that the team couldn’t afford to have any more 🐬shunts amid concerns about the budget cap and having enough spare parts.

Schumacher was 1.1s off teammate Kevin Magnussen as 🐻he qualified last.

Valtteri Bottas - Qualified 15th

Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit,
Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand…

It was a troubled session for Bottas, who narrowly avoided b♎eing eliminated iꦗn Q1 for the first time since the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix.

It seemed like the Finn lacked confidence, particularly in the first sector 💃of the lap, giving away over 0.4s to his less experienced teammate, Guanyu Zhou.

Bottas endured ꦍone of the worst weekends of his career in Baku last year, qualifying 10th, over one-second off Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

The race didn’t go any better for Bo🔜ttas as he was overtaken by four cars on the restart after the red flag at the end of the race.

However, Boඣttas has performed very well this season so 🦩it’s a rare off-weekend.

The best performers in F1 qualifying were…

Charles Leclerc - Qualified 1st

Pole sitter Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75 in qualifying parc ferme. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan
Pole sitter Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75 in qualifying parc ferme. Formula 1 World…

Leclerc produced yet another breathtaking lap in Baku to 168澳洲🐷幸运5官方开奖结果历史:eclipse Perez by over 0.2s. 

The Moneg🔴asque trailed teammate Sainz after the first runs but he saved his best until last in Q3.

With Sainz - who ran ahead of h🔯im on track - abandoning his first lap after a mistake on his fina🌳l effort, Leclerc was flying, improving by 0.4s at the second sector immediate split.

Leclerc carried this advantage to the chequer𝔍ed flag t♔o secure his fourth straight pole position. 

He hasn’t converted pole into a victory in the last three races and will be needing the perfect strategy from Ferrari on r🅷ace day.

Pierre Gasly - Qualified 6th

Pierre Gasly (FRA) AlphaTauri AT03. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit,
Pierre Gasly (FRA) AlphaTauri AT03. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix,…

After a disappointing Q1 exit last time out in Monaco, Pierre 🍌Gasly was at his 🍌best once again as he split the two Mercedes cars in qualifying.

W♕ith news that Red Bull have retained Perez for two further years, Gasly’s chances of promotion are effectively over.

Gasly has to impress the likes of McLaren and Alpine in the comi𝔍ng races to tempt them to sign hi൩m, particularly with Daniel Ricciardo’s difficult form.

The Frenchman finished on the podium at last year’s Azer🌳baijan GP and should carnage ensue ahead, he’s in a good position to do it again.

Sebastian Vettel - Qualified 9th

Sebastian Vettel (GER) Aston Martin F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street
Sebastian Vettel (GER) Aston Martin F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan…

Vettel mღade it back-to-back Q3 appearances in Baku as the four-time champion continues to get the 🌳most out of Aston Martin’s upgraded package. 

Aston Martin introd🥃uced a significant u🍃pgrade, which resembled Red Bull’s aero package, at the Spanish Grand Prix.

With Stroll struggling, Vettel is showing his class in 2022 after a slow ✨start following his two-race absence due to coronavirus. 

Guanyu Zhou - Qualified 14th

Guanyu Zhou (CHN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team C42. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit,
Guanyu Zhou (CHN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team C42. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 8, Azerbaijan Grand…

Zhou out-qualified te💦ammate Bottas💙 for the first time in 2022 in Baku.

It’s been a tough run for the Chinese rookie with reliability issues impacting his season s𝕴everely. 

It’s a shame for Zhou that Alfa Romeo’s dip in competitiveness has c🧜oincided with his best qualifying (relative to Bottas) so far but it should give him a lot of confidence goin🌜g into the race and the rest of the season.

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