“For sure I’m surprised”: Charles Leclerc delighted with pole position after beating Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in Baku

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc admitted to being surprised after he claimed pole position for the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP ahead of the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver during an extended Q1 session that saw two red-flag stoppages for crashes by Nyck de Vries and Pierre Gasly. The Monegasque driver was just behind Max Verstappen in the timing charts in Q2.

Leclerc and Verstappen posted identical times of 1:40.455 after their first runs in the final portion of qualifying. However, the Ferrari man was able to extract some more performance to edge the Dutchman out at the end of the session and claim his third consecutive pole position at this venue.

The SF-23 was strong during qualifying in races prior to this but this was the first time they appeared to be on an even keel with Red Bull. However, Charles Leclerc did not expect this result. In his post-session interview in Parc-Ferme with Mark Webber for Sky Sports, the Monegasque said:

"For sure I am surprised. I mean, we came into the weekend thinking it will be a great weekend if we are in front of Aston (Martin) and Mercedes in qualifying and at the end, we are on pole so it's a really good surprise."

"We must not forget that our race car is still behind the Red Bulls. So, it's going to be difficult to keep the lead but that's the target and I am really really happy with the lap."

The 25-year-old went on to add:

"I mean, it's a very challenging weekend overall for us drivers because (we have) very little time to practice. We only had one FP1 and you need to be straight on it but the feeling was good since the start. So, really really happy."

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"It's going to be challenging" - Charles Leclerc knows there is no room for error during 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP Sprint shootout

Despite his solid showing to take pole for the feature race during the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend, Charles Leclerc knows there is no room for error heading into the Sprint qualifying session on Saturday.

As per the rules put forward by the FIA, all teams will have to run hard tires in Q1, medium tires in Q2, and soft tires in Q3 during Saturday's Sprint shootout ahead of the 100km dash to the finish line later in the day.

Given that Ferrari have not been able to run the medium tires in the limited amount of practice time during the weekend, the Monegasque is wary of the difficulties that lie ahead. In his aforementioned interview with Mark Webber, he said:

"It's going to be challenging because we haven't run the medium yet. So, tomorrow in (Sprint) qualifying will be the first time and we need to be on it because we only have one set so no rooms for mistake. But again. the pace seems strong so hopefully, we can learn in Q1 and Q2 and then push in Q3 and then we know the car is good."

Ferrari have recorded the most pole positions in Baku with four in six races but the Scuderia have never managed to win in Azerbaijan.

Charles Leclerc will have a monumental task on hand to change that statistic as Red Bull looks to hunt him down.