Leclerc Tops Azerbaijan Practice Times Despite Early Crash.

Posted 2 months ago

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc narrowly beat Red Bull’s Sergio Perez by just 0.006 seconds in Friday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice.

Leclerc set his fastest time late in the session when track conditions were optimal, following a challenging day that included a crash in the first practice.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was third, just 0.066 seconds behind Perez, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rounding out the top six.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who is competing closely with Verstappen for the championship, ended up 14th after being delayed by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine during his fastest lap attempt.

Leclerc, who was a favorite for pole position after leading the grid in Baku for three consecutive years, crashed his Ferrari midway through the first session.

Although the car was repaired for the second session, Leclerc reported handling issues, claiming the car felt “not straight” and requested a pit stop.

Ferrari’s telemetry showed no issues, but Leclerc insisted the data didn’t reflect the car’s condition.