Azerbaijan GP: Charles Leclerc takes on Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen with F1 set for ‘chaotic’ street fight

Charles Leclerc hopes Ferrari can provide “another good surprise” as he bids to upset title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in today’s Azerbaijan GP – with more chaos predicted around the fast and unforgiving streets of Baku.

Formula 1’s sixth race of the 2021 season is set up for a cracker, with the very real possibility of a three-team street fight and, judging by recent evidence, the very real possibility of utter carnage and incidents aplenty.

• Azerbaijan GP live on Sky F1 at 1pm: Full race-day schedule
• How the grid lines up after crashes and penalties

After a qualifying that featured four session-stopping crashes, Leclerc has pole for the second race in a row – although this time he will hope to at least make it to lights out after the heartbreak of Monaco two weeks ago.

The surprise Ferrari pole-sitter is joined on the front row by Hamilton in the Mercedes, with championship leader Verstappen poised just behind for Red Bull in third as three drivers from three teams get ready for battle.

Although Leclerc is not exactly optimistic of holding his rivals back.

“The race pace is, I believe weaker than Red Bull and Mercedes, so it’s going to be very tough to keep them behind,” Leclerc admitted to Sky F1. “But we will give everything.

“The straights are very long and it’s very easy to overtake. We need to have another good surprise and be quicker than Mercedes and Red Bull, and then we can win.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, can’t help but be impressed by Ferrari – who have jumped from midfield runners to pole and race contenders for the last two Grands Prix.

“It’s a fantastic step that they’ve taken,” said the seven-time world champion. “I don’t fully understand it. I think they’ve always had a good car for some time and just down in power.

“I’m assuming they’ve taken a really good step with their engines because they’re now up there with everyone else.”

With other teams also much closer to the Red Bulls and Mercedes than expected, Hamilton added: “It’s great to see three teams – three, four teams – at the front. It’s great seeing the Alpines, it’s great seeing the McLarens in the mix and even the AlphaTauris.

“It’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons that we’ve seen.”

It’s not just because of the big crashes in qualifying that we should expect incidents in today’s race – for Azerbaijan often throws up epic and unpredictable Sundays.

Take 2017, when Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel bumped wheels under a Safety Car, and Daniel Ricciardo pulled off a triple overtake on his way to victory. Or 2018, and the big Verstappen and Ricciardo collision.

Quite simply, expect the unexpected.

“We are going to see such a chaotic Grand Prix here again in Azerbaijan,” said Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson. “The track throws up so many challenges.”

Hamilton & Verstappen set for another must-watch battle

While Leclerc is on pole, the fact Hamilton and Verstappen are next to each other so high up on the grid is a welcome boost, and one that was not expected going into qualifying with Mercedes so far off the pace.

A combination of drastic Mercedes setup changes and typical brilliance from Hamilton lifted him not only to the front row, but ahead of his Red Bull rival who had looked so comfortable through the weekend.

“We know that this car is not a terrible car but we also know that we’re not the strongest right now,” Hamilton told Sky F1. “For us to turn it round to be in the top three competing so closely with the Red Bulls and Ferraris who have been just destroying everyone last weekend and this weekend, it puts us in the fight.

“We’ve got a race on Sunday and we’re in a position to get some good points. So I’m just excited.”

With Mercedes and Red Bull expected to have similar race pace around the fast yet technical street circuit, there is certainly the prospect of a fifth wheel-to-wheel battle in six races between Hamilton and Verstappen, who have been firm yet respectful with each other on track so far this season.

Verstappen holds a four-point lead in the championship heading into the race.

Behind the top three, Pierre Gasly is the closest challenger ahead of Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari, while Sergio Perez – out of position somewhat in the competitive second Red Bull – will hope to move up the order.

Valtteri Bottas starts a lowly 10th for Mercedes, behind Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris after the McLaren driver picked up a three-place grid penalty post-qualifying.

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