Two crashes in two laps for Stroll | The worst drivers in Baku F1 qualifying

Stroll scored his maiden F1 podium back in 2017 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while driving for Williams.

While the Canadian has had his critics over the years, Stroll has established himself as a solid midfield driver.

Stroll won the race head-to-head with four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2021.

However, it appears that he’s gone backwards in terms of performance in 2022 with Vettel continuing to thrive.

Up at the front, Charles Leclerc produced another stunning lap to claim a fourth successive pole position ahead of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, with Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz down in fourth.

Here’s who had a difficult day at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix...

Lance Stroll - Qualified 19th

Crashing in Baku is a common occurrence but in the manner that Stroll did during qualifying was inexcusable. 

Down in the elimination zone, Stroll was trying to get out in Q1 to avoid a third straight elimination.

With just under four minutes on the clock, Stroll clattered the wall at Turn 7 after locking the rears.

He managed to flat-spot his tyres but continued without any apparent damage.

Stroll didn’t learn from his mistake as just moments later, he collided with the wall on the entry into Turn 2, destroying the front end of his car and bringing out the red flag in the process.

Two amateur mistakes from Stroll in a car that should be qualifying in the top 10.

Mick Schumacher - Qualified 20th

The only positive for Mick Schumacher was that he didn’t heavily shunt his Haas F1 car.

Following his latest crash in Monaco, Haas boss Guenther Steiner warned that the team couldn’t afford to have any more shunts amid concerns about the budget cap and having enough spare parts.

Schumacher was 1.1s off teammate Kevin Magnussen as he qualified last.

Valtteri Bottas - Qualified 15th

It was a troubled session for Bottas, who narrowly avoided being eliminated in Q1 for the first time since the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix.

It seemed like the Finn lacked confidence, particularly in the first sector of the lap, giving away over 0.4s to his less experienced teammate, Guanyu Zhou.

Bottas endured one of the worst weekends of his career in Baku last year, qualifying 10th, over one-second off Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

The race didn’t go any better for Bottas as he was overtaken by four cars on the restart after the red flag at the end of the race.

However, Bottas has performed very well this season so it’s a rare off-weekend.

The best performers in F1 qualifying were…

Charles Leclerc - Qualified 1st

Leclerc produced yet another breathtaking lap in Baku to eclipse Perez by over 0.2s. 

The Monegasque trailed teammate Sainz after the first runs but he saved his best until last in Q3.

With Sainz - who ran ahead of him on track - abandoning his first lap after a mistake on his final effort, Leclerc was flying, improving by 0.4s at the second sector immediate split.

Leclerc carried this advantage to the chequered flag to secure his fourth straight pole position. 

He hasn’t converted pole into a victory in the last three races and will be needing the perfect strategy from Ferrari on race day.

Pierre Gasly - Qualified 6th

After a disappointing Q1 exit last time out in Monaco, Pierre Gasly was at his best once again as he split the two Mercedes cars in qualifying.

With news that Red Bull have retained Perez for two further years, Gasly’s chances of promotion are effectively over.

Gasly has to impress the likes of McLaren and Alpine in the coming races to tempt them to sign him, particularly with Daniel Ricciardo’s difficult form.

The Frenchman finished on the podium at last year’s Azerbaijan GP and should carnage ensue ahead, he’s in a good position to do it again.

Sebastian Vettel - Qualified 9th

Vettel made it back-to-back Q3 appearances in Baku as the four-time champion continues to get the most out of Aston Martin’s upgraded package. 

Aston Martin introduced a significant upgrade, which resembled Red Bull’s aero package, at the Spanish Grand Prix.

With Stroll struggling, Vettel is showing his class in 2022 after a slow start following his two-race absence due to coronavirus. 

Guanyu Zhou - Qualified 14th

Zhou out-qualified teammate Bottas for the first time in 2022 in Baku.

It’s been a tough run for the Chinese rookie with reliability issues impacting his season severely. 

It’s a shame for Zhou that Alfa Romeo’s dip in competitiveness has coincided with his best qualifying (relative to Bottas) so far but it should give him a lot of confidence going into the race and the rest of the season.