Charles Leclerc puts his Ferrari on pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Sergio Perez sneaks second ahead of Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen – but Lewis Hamilton is down in seventh and facing an INVESTIGATION for ‘driving unnecessarily slowly’
Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for impeding Lando Norris during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
While Charles Leclerc took an emphatic pole for Ferrari, the seven-time world champion was accused of driving too slowly during Q2.
Driving too slowly! Yes, yes, yes, he was on an out-lap, but the irony of perhaps history’s fastest man being up on that charge in his season horribilis!
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start on pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday in Baku
Leclerc celebrates on Saturday after qualifying on pole to boost his world title chances
Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for impeding Lando Norris during the qualifying session
Norris’s race engineer told him that Hamilton will ‘get in trouble, don’t let him play silly b******’
‘He’s the lead car, he’ll get in trouble, don’t let him play silly b******,’ said Norris’s race engineer Will Joseph.
An exasperated Hamilton, told by his team not to drive too slowly, said over the radio: ‘I don’t know what you expect of me sometimes.’
The Mercedes star was summoned before the stewards. An FIA statement said: ‘The driver and team representative are required to report to the Stewards at 20:20 (5.20pm BST) in relation to the incident below.
‘Driver 44 – Lewis Hamilton, reason alleged: breach by cars 44 and 4 (Lando Norris) of Article 33.4 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations and non-compliance with Race Director’s Note (Doc. 20); driving unnecessarily slowly at 18:59.’
Seven-time world champion Hamilton was accused of driving too slowly during Q2
Hamilton finished behind team-mate George Russell in qualifying for the fifth time this season
Spaniard Sergio Perez, who won the Monaco GP a fortnight ago, qualified second fastest
Reigning champion Max Verstappen finished third, one place behind Red Bull team-mate Perez
Lance Stroll crashed his Aston Martin and caused a red flag in the latter moments of Q1
Hamilton, 37, qualified seventh, two places behind his Mercedes team-mate, 24-year-old George Russell, making it 5-3 in qualifying to the younger Englishman this season.
Hamilton was two-tenths off Russell and 1.6sec adrift of Leclerc, who took his sixth pole of the season.
Sergio Perez, who won Monaco a fortnight ago, qualified second fastest, a notable one place ahead of Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz was fourth quickest.
Lance Stroll crashed his Aston Martin and caused a red flag in the latter moments of Q1. He will start 19th, only a place ahead of Haas’s struggling Mick Schumacher, who is fighting for his position within the team.
Re-live Sportsmail’s live blog for qualifying as the Formula One campaign continues at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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