As it happened: 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying

This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.

Qualifying for the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is coming up next

Esteban Ocon will participate in qualifying after Alpine identified a problem in the fuel pump system which caused his stoppage in final practice.

Sergio Perez avoided a penalty for impeding Carlos Sainz Jnr in final practice, though he was given an official warning. However after the last session came word that Charles Leclerc is under investigation for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags. He has been given a reprimand.

Drivers head to the pit exit three-and-a-half minutes before the session begins. Russell: “Literally like a Mexican stand-off. As soon as one goes, everyone pulls the trigger.”

Q1 is go. The Mercedes drivers are running the medium tyre compound to being with, the other drivers so far all on softs.

Max Verstappen puts up a 1’43.644, that’s immediately beaten by Sergio Perez with a 1’43.436. Charles Leclerc then splits the pair of them.

Verstappen not happy with the balance of his car, complaining it’s “jumping around”.

Carlos Sainz Jnr goes second, 0.081s off Perez, and gave Leclerc a handy tow as his team mate began a lap.

A very handy lap from in Franco Colapinto the Williams now puts him up to third. Verstappen stays fifth and remarks “I’m nowhere.”

Colapinto: “Sorry mate I just touched the wall with the rear-right.” That was at turn 15. Sainz is now reversing out of the run-off area at turn two.

Leclerc gets down to a 1’42.775 but isn’t confident in the time as the track is evolving rapidly. Russell goes three-tenths off him for second place. Hamilton is just under three-tenths off his team mate in fourth.

Both Saubers plus Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo are in the drop zone with four minutes to go.

Russell also sensitive to track improvement, he’s doing two cool laps and preparing to push again.

Ricciardo puts Tsunoda in the drop zone. He then does the same to Bearman. Expect to see a lot of improvements at the end.

Fernando Alonso and Bearman fall into the drop zone, partly because Zhou gave a huge tow to Bottas and got his team mate up to 10th.

Verstappen has fallen to 12th and needs to improve on this lap. There’s briefly a yellow fag in sector two ahead of him but it clears so he won’t have to back off.

Piastri into the drop zone as Verstappen goes third. The McLaren driver goes safe with third place. But his team mate doesn’t! Norris is eliminated in Q1!

Norris confirms on his radio he had to back off for the yellow flag. He asks if he can go again and is told: “No.”

Q2 has begun and the only McLaren remaining sets the pace to begin with on a 1’42.598. Russell is next ahead of Sainz and Albon, Williams still looking strong.

Now the Red Bull drivers move to the top, Verstappen looking much happier with his car now, posting a 1’42.042, that puts him two-tenths of a second ahead of Perez.

After the first runs, Franco Colapinto is only a tenth of a second away from joining his team mate in Q3. Oliver Bearman is already there, holding fifth in the Haas.

Leclerc is asking “why we don’t have someone in front” to give him a tow, reminding his team they have been practising it all weekend. However Sainz tells Ferrari: “He keeps missing the tow.”

Tsunoda goes eighth which puts Hamilton into the drop zone. The Mercedes driver can only manage seventh. Stroll goes 13th so he’s out.

Colapinto goes fifth! Terrific lap by the Williams driver. Bearman has taken the chequered flag in 11th so he’s out. Alonso goes fifth at the end which put the Haas driver out.

Q2 is over and Bearman, Tsunoda, Gasly, Hulkenberg and Stroll are eliminated.

Q3 has begun and all 10 drivers are on-track.

Verstappen came seriously close to touching the turn one barriers at the start of his first flying lap.

Leclerc pips Piastri, then Sainz splits the pair of them. Verstappen only fifth with that first effort, he had a lot of oversteer on that run. Perez beats him by two tenths of a second.

Albon has to pull over as Williams have left an airbox cooler in his car! He manages to get going but he’s out of time to complete a lap.

No better than seventh for Hamilton, Russell fourth. Piastri jumps up to second though.

Leclerc improves again with a 1’41.365. The Red Bulls are next: Verstappen beats Perez to fifth – but it’s only temporary, Perez takes fourth.

Here’s the grid for Sunday’s race.

So Leclerc will start from pole position for the fourth year in a row at Baku City Circuit. Our full qualifying report is here

2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

• Verstappen: “Important” for FIA to clarify legality of McLaren’s ‘mini DRS’ wing
• Hamilton explains suspension set-up change behind “miserable” Baku weekend
• Piastri needs “crazy” results to become title contender despite Baku win
• FIA taking new look at flexing bodywork amid intrigue over McLaren’s rear wing
• Norris knew Verstappen broke VSC rules in Baku because he did the same in Melbourne