Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel grabs pole, Lewis Hamilton to start second

Ferrari’s championship leader Sebastian Vettel claimed pole for Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of a revived Lewis Hamilton in a crash-strewn qualifying session on the streets of Baku on Saturday.

other sports Updated: Apr 28, 2018 21:14 IST

Pole position winner Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel (C) celebrates with second placed Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (L) and third placed Mercedes' Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas after the qualifying session for the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit in Baku on Saturday. (AFP)

Ferrari’s Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel took his third pole position in a row in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday.

The German, who leads defending the four-time champion Hamilton by nine points after three races this season, clocked a best lap in one minute and 41.498 seconds to sweep to the prime starting spot.

It was an emphatic demonstration from him and Ferrari after he had struggled in practice on Friday. It was his third consecutive pole position after Bahrain and China.

Lewis Hamilton was 0.179 seconds adrift of Vettel after an improved showing that left him ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.

Kimi Raikkonen wound up sixth in the second Ferrari after an eventful session and a huge slide on his final flying lap.

Esteban Ocon was seventh ahead of his Force India team-mate Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg who faces a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change, and his Renault team-mate Carlos Sainz.