A few minutes after completing his fastest lap of the day in 1:41.359, Charles Leclerc appeared the first surprise of his performance on Saturday.

He struggled to realize that he had once again taken pole position at the wheel of his Ferrari, beating the Red Bulls of Mexican Sergio Pérez, second, and Dutchman Max Verstappen, third.

"It feels good. All pole positions are nice, but this one I didn't necessarily expect. I thought the Red Bulls were faster, they were very strong in Q1 and Q2", a- he reacted to the microphone of former driver Johnny Herbert after qualifying.

Since the start of the weekend, Leclerc has responded to Red Bull's challenge, setting the best time in free practice on Friday.

Monegasque Charles Leclerc, driving his Ferrari, during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, June 11, 2022, in the streets of Baku OZAN KOSE AFP

And at the end of a lap at the limit in risk-taking at the end of the third part of qualifying on Saturday, he once again secured his place in front of everyone when starting on Sunday (1:00 p.m.).

"Everything lined up on the last lap," said Leclerc, who relegated Pérez to more than 2/10ths, while the two drivers have been battling each other since Friday.

Monegasque Charles Leclerc, driving his Ferrari, during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, June 11, 2022, in the streets of Baku NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA AFP

"The feelings are good and I'm optimistic for tomorrow. I just want to finish the job," added Leclerc, who hasn't won a race since the Australian Grand Prix two months ago.

Many twists

"When we get to Q3, that's where we risk the most. There it was a bit too much. I hit the walls in several places, we managed to survive in this qualification", commented Pérez, winner in Baku last year and galvanized by his success in Monaco two weeks ago.

Mexican Sergio Perez chats with a Red Bull technician before the third free practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on June 11, 2022, in the streets of Baku NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA AFP

Thanks to the fifteenth pole position of his career, Leclerc offers himself a great opportunity to make up for three disappointing Grands Prix, including the "real disaster" at home in Monaco two weeks ago, only fourth.

But in the streets of Baku, pole position is far from a guarantee of final victory: Pérez won there last year from the third row.

Only the German Nico Rosberg in 2016 and the Finn Valtteri Bottas in 2019, both on Mercedes, managed to win in Azerbaijan by starting from pole.

And there are many twists and turns on the shores of the Caspian Sea and at the foot of the ramparts of the medieval old town, like Max Verstappen's puncture last year when victory beckoned him with five laps to go. .

"It's a long race, at any time you can make a mistake and it's over," warned Pérez.

Verstappen, the reigning world champion, had to settle for the third fastest time in qualifying on Saturday, and will start from the second row alongside the second Ferrari of Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr.

"The start of my lap was good, but there were small mistakes. It escaped me. I suffered to find a good balance on a lap", estimated the leader of the world championship, nine points behind. advance on Charles Leclerc and fifteen on his teammate Pérez.

The race will take place on a 6.003 km long and extremely bouncy urban circuit, putting both the single-seaters and the drivers to the test.

© 2022 AFP