FACTS AND STATS: Perez ends 33-race streak of being beaten by Verstappen as he out-qualifies the Dutchman in Baku

Charles Leclerc grabbed a fourth pole at the Baku City Circuit, the Ferrari man turning into something of a specialist around this track. It was a good qualifying full stop for Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz in third for the Scuderia – setting them up perfectly for the race.

But McLaren endured a mixed session, and Max Verstappen couldn’t fully capitalise on his title rival Lando Norris’ misfortune. Here are the best facts and stats from qualifying in Azerbaijan…

• Leclerc is the second Ferrari driver to take four straight poles at the same venue after Michael Schumacher, who did so at Suzuka, Barcelona and Sepang.

• It’s the Monegasque driver's third pole of the year and 26th career pole – tying him for ninth on the all time table for most with a single constructor with Mika Hakkinen (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (McLaren).

• This is Ferrari’s fifth pole in Baku, but they have never won at this track.

READ MORE: Leclerc beats Piastri to pole in Azerbaijan as Norris suffers shock Q1 exit

• Oscar Piastri grabbed second, his fifth career front row start but the Australian is yet to start from pole in a Grand Prix.

• His grid slot is McLaren’s first top-six start in Baku.

• Sainz grabbed third, his best-ever qualifying in Baku, and his first top-three start since Monaco.

• Sergio Perez was fourth, having out-qualified Verstappen for the first time since Miami 2023, ending a 33-race streak.

• All of Red Bull’s wins at this track have come from below the front row.

• George Russell was fifth, tying his best-ever start in Baku. He also clinches the season qualifying head-to-head against Hamilton, as he now leads 13-4.

• Verstappen was sixth, as he starts outside the top five for the third time in the last four races.

• Seven of the 21 podium finishers in Baku history have come from outside the top five on the grid.

• Hamilton was seventh, he now only has three top-four starts this season.

• Fernando Alonso bagged his fifth Q3 appearance in the last six Grands Prix.

READ MORE: ‘He’s still got an RB17 to finish’ – Horner describes Aston Martin’s presentation of Newey as ‘slightly premature’

• Franco Colapinto is the first Argentine to start in the top 10 since Carlos Reutemann at the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix. He is also the first Williams driver to out-qualify Alex Albon since Silverstone 2022.

• Albon reached Q3 for the sixth time this year and third race in a row, as Williams got both cars into Q3 for the first time this season.

• Oliver Bearman was 11th, as he out-qualified Nico Hulkenberg in his first qualifying for Haas. Hulkenberg has out-qualified Kevin Magnussen 13-3 this year.

• Yuki Tsunoda failed to reach Q3 for the first time in four Baku visits.

• Pierre Gasly was P13, having out-qualified Esteban Ocon in all three races since the summer break.

• Hulkenberg was P14, his highest start in Baku since 2018.

• Lance Stroll was 15th, and has only reached Q3 here once in his last six visits.

• Daniel Ricciardo was eliminated in Q1 for the first time on his seventh visit to this track. It was his fifth Q1 elimination of the season, one more than Tsunoda.

• Lando Norris was P17, suffering his first Q1 elimination since Las Vegas last year. McLaren had been the only team to get both cars into Q3 at every race this season.

READ MORE: Zhou gets sent to back of Azerbaijan Grand Prix starting grid with pre-qualifying penalty

• The lowest position Norris has started and still made it to the podium is P10, at Qatar in 2023. The last time he made the podium from 17th or lower was at Silverstone, in the 2016 British F3 championship.

• Valtteri Bottas has out-qualified Zhou Guanyu 16 times in 17 races in 2024.

• Esteban Ocon was P20, having started from the pit lane here last year. Alpine (or Renault) have been on the last row or started from the pit lane in four previous races here.

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