Key events
More on Saturday’s final practice, where Lando Norris set the pace and winds picked up. The title-chasing British driver had a hefty bang into the wall which brought an early end to his running in Friday’s second practice but his McLaren escaped without any significant damage.
Norris was the first of the front-running drivers on track on Saturday but swiftly complained that his car felt “sketchy”. He initially struggled to find pace but surged to the top of the charts in the closing stages to end the session 0.222sec clear of Max Verstappen.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who like Norris also banged into the wall on Friday, had another troubled session as he narrowly avoided another collision with the barriers before also taking to the run-off area at turn one. The Australian, who leads Norris by 31 points in the standings, was third-fastest and over two tenths behind his teammate.
Baku lived up to its moniker as the “City of Winds” as 20kmph gusts swept across the street circuit on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Lewis Hamilton, fastest on Friday, was fourth for Ferrari. His team-mate Charles Leclerc, who will bid for a fifth consecutive pole position in Baku, appeared to have genuine pace before a nudge against the wall and he ended the session down in 10th. PA Media
Preamble
It was on the streets of Baku a year ago that McLaren began to emerge as Formula One’s force. Oscar Piastri won his second grand prix, Lando Norris fought through the field and McLaren overtook Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
Twelve months on, McLaren have accelerated away from their rivals. They could secure the constructors’ title on Sunday and the only real question left is which one of their drivers will win the world championship. Piastri has racked up another seven GP wins since to lead the race from Lando Norris.
The Briton’s return to Baku this weekend has been a mixed bag – he suffered a “costly” crash in practice on Friday, when the twin Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were fastest. “Overall we seem pretty strong – but it looks like McLaren are in another world,” was Leclerc’s gloomy prediction.
Norris lived up to those expectations in today’s final session, with Max Verstappen second and Piastri third. Leclerc’s mood might not change much even if he tops qualifying today; Leclerc has been on pole for the last four trips here, but has never won the main race. Qualifying gets under way at 1pm (BST), 4pm local time.
