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00:00The weather or something comes into play tomorrow, you never know, but yeah, I feel like I've definitely put us on the back foot for tomorrow.
00:12Sounds like it might be a long day at the office then for Alex Albon, right at the back of the grid and not able to really live that potential.
00:23So his teammate Carlos Sainz made it through up into 14th as we get confirmation Q2 will start at 16.48 local time.
00:30In the meantime, we can check in, I think, with the Skypad.
00:34Yeah, thanks, Harry, while we're in this lull of the red flag, just want to try and clear a few things up for you guys in the commentary box.
00:40So first of all, this is Hulkenberg. He's just finished his last lap before we came to the incident with Colopinto.
00:48So he's on a cool down lap here, as you can see. He gets overtaken there by the racing balls.
00:52He's clearly not pushing. In the distance is the yellow light panel we just passed there.
00:57I'll just speed that on through the next corner because on the exit, you'll clearly see now the double waved light.
01:07When it goes from one to the other side, that's the double yellow.
01:12And then on the right-hand side is the physical flag itself.
01:14So now we've got the yellow flags out there, and that's why the driver's taking extra care before they get to turn four.
01:22On the left-hand side, you've got, again, another yellow flag.
01:25So Hulkenberg, he did get his lap in.
01:28It's not like he was pushing when the red flag came out as he was coming up to the line like Alonso narrowly just got through.
01:36Then if we go to the actual Colopinto crash, I think it was Caroon wondering whether it was a white or yellow.
01:41So was I at the time as well.
01:44So we move this one on.
01:45So bearing in mind we've just gone through this same corner on the exit of turn three, and we had the yellow flag on the right-hand side, and this panel on the left was a double waved yellow.
01:55And this is what we were getting computed.
01:57It's not the best of – it's not the easiest thing to see here, whether it's yellow or white.
02:02But now we've just seen what a double waved yellow is compared to this one.
02:06This is the white light for a slow-moving vehicle or stopped vehicle on track, or what it was for – in this case, Gasly is off the circuit in front.
02:17So that's why Colopinto was still pushing when he came up to this point of the corner.
02:23I don't know if you can still hear me.
02:24I'm coming in there now.
02:25And that's why he lost control.
02:26That's why he was still pushing, because it was just the white flag indeed, not the double yellow.
02:31So hopefully that just clears that up for everybody back at home and for you guys in the commentary box as well, because I was certainly confused by it as well.
02:38Yeah, thanks, Ad.
02:39There's been a lot of – is that a white or a yellow flag so far in Baku?
02:43Yeah, I feel like we need a different flag for when the cars go off in that runoff area, isn't it?
02:47And if you're colourblind, well, you've got no chance, surely.
02:49Yeah, but then you've got a whole load of other – because then you don't see the red flag either.
02:53Yeah.
02:55Anyway.
02:56I think that's a feature there somewhere.
02:58I'm going to move away from that and let you and Ant can do that feature.
03:02You two are making a great double-act.
03:04Yeah, just on Alpine, before we go green, I saw some comments from Flavio Briatore in the written presses yesterday saying it's a straight shootout for 2026 between Franco Colopinto and Paul Aaron, their reserve driver.
03:15So – and he was pretty strong about saying it's only between those two.
03:20He doesn't feel like there's anyone in Formula 2 good enough to get a seat.
03:25He sort of didn't mention Jack Doohan, which seems quite harsh because, you know, it's – you know, Jack didn't have many opportunities to really prove himself.
03:36And, yeah, you know, Flavio's gone flat out in classic Flavio style and basically gone, right, it's only these two.
03:44I'm not looking at anyone else, which is very strong.
03:48Yeah, and Paul Aaron has been impressing, actually, in his FP1 outings, done a couple with Sauber as well as Alpine, scheduled to do a couple more.
03:55Colopinto has picked up in terms of performance.
03:57He's out-qualified Gasly in two.
03:59We'll make that three now of the last four races, depending on how much damage is done on that Alpine, if he can take up his starting position of 16th with Gasly out down in 19th.
04:09But then we are underway now for Q2, so it is the fight to get inside the top ten and for that ultimate battle for pole position.
04:18And we've already got a car finding its way into the runoff, and that is the racing bulls of Isaac Hadjar, who is just doing a bit of steady reversing to get himself back on the track.
04:29So an early yellow flag, and I think we head down to pit wall with Bernie Collins.
04:33Bernie, this is going to be yet more strategic headaches up and down the pit wall.
04:39The pit walls are busy, I'll tell you that.
04:42It's definitely where you make your money on a day like this.
04:44But just a few bits of information to pick up on what Alan from Ayn said there.
04:48Looking at the strategy plan for this session, I think you can get one run of a push-cool push, and then another run of a single push lap.
04:55So two runs in this session, I think, a maximum of three time laps, if there's no yellow or red flags.
05:01A quick look at the overlay, so the comparison between Lando Norris, Verstappen and Eclair.
05:07And where Norris is losing time is through that castle section, through that tight, twisty bit.
05:13He actually gains on both straights compared to the others, but that's where the McLaren would need to improve.
05:19The others, the Ferrari and the Red Bull, both looking strong in straight line, particularly down the main straight.
05:25So more to come through this session, hopefully, Harry.
05:27Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Bernie.
05:29And a little bit of a slide out there for the Ferrari.
05:31Again, that wind playing havoc with all of the drivers left.
05:35Yeah, I think Turn 4 is a tricky one today because it's kind of the same as Turn 16.
05:41You've got the tailwind there.
05:43And that's why I think we're seeing so many drivers struggling at Turn 4 and Turn 16.
05:49And, you know, if you've got it, we heard some radio from Fernando Alonso earlier on the other channel saying,
05:54you know, they've seen gusts of up to 22 kilometers an hour.
05:58So it's like a big hand just pushing the car on in a way that they don't expect.
06:03Oh, Bermans touched the wall.
06:04The car's crabbing.
06:05Yeah.
06:05The rear right looks like it's damaged.
06:08So exit of Turn 2, I think he's touched the wall.
06:11This could go red because if he's parked at a spot,
06:14but I don't see a gap in the wall for the marshals to pull the car off track.
06:18It's obviously a double wave yellow, but this could go red.
06:23Yeah, is the car okay?
06:25I don't think so.
06:27No, it's broken.
06:28Oh, for Oli Behrman having to pull off to the side.
06:31You can see the realignment on the car there.
06:35Not looking as it should.
06:38Icomatsu and the reserve driver, Rio Hirokawa there.
06:41As we look at him on the pit wall, that has brought out the red flag early in this Q2 session.
06:47That is Oli Behrman out of the session.
06:49We had three red flags in Q1.
06:52The record in a single qualifying session is five from Imola back in 2022 in Sao Paulo last year.
07:00But we could be on our way there for a Q2 record at some point if it keeps on going like this.
07:05But for Behrman, who has looked quicker than his teammate all weekend so far.
07:10And we'll have to be careful in the race being on 10 penalty points.
07:14Let's see what happened and ride on the exit as he applied the power.
07:17Sorry guys.
07:27So stupid.
07:28Yeah, he's a bit annoyed with that.
07:31You know, as Bernie said, there's time for the drivers to have done two push laps on the first run and a single push later.
07:38So to crash out on your first run of Q2, which should be your banker lap, you know, you generally leave a little bit of margin on that first lap.
07:48Especially when you know on the medium tyres that he's on, people are improving.
07:53People are improving on their second push lap.
07:54So the grip is going to come.
07:56And in the first sector of your first push lap to have a crash, I think that's something that he will be, well, he sounds very annoyed.
08:06He's going to kick himself for that.
08:07He's going to kick himself for that.
08:08And I think the team will be annoyed.
08:10You know, what did we say in that feature when we were walking in?
08:13All he just needs clean weekends.
08:15He's fast.
08:16He needs clean weekends.
08:17And again, that's a potentially good qualifying or a good result that's gone away.
08:24The sun is really annoying.
08:26It's really very much in our vision.
08:29Now, I thought they had special visors to cater for the change in sunlight.
08:33Also, what do you want the engineer to do?
08:36Turn the sun off?
08:37I mean.
08:38Yes, come on.
08:39That's a simple request from driver to engineer, isn't it?
08:41Yes, Brian Botsey.
08:42Could you ask the sun god to just move a little bit?
08:46They'll check.
08:47Right.
08:48Red flag at the moment with 11 minutes and 54 on the clock.
08:52What's happening in the pit lane, Ted?
08:55Well, I've got a bit of sympathy for Charles Leclerc because, you know,
08:57if nothing had happened and there'd be no red flags,
09:01qualifying would be finishing in six minutes' time, wouldn't it, Harry?
09:04So, it is getting quite late into the afternoon.
09:07Heaven knows how many more we're going to have.
09:09We're only on the first runs of Q2.
09:12Those Ferraris were on used tyres, so they wouldn't have suffered too much.
09:17The McLarens and the Red Bull were on new tyres, so I assume they'll just go out on the same set.
09:22But someone who wasn't out at all and who won't have been disadvantaged was Antonelli and George Russell.
09:27So, I don't know whether they just thought, you know, let's just calm everything down.
09:32What's been a fractious enough session and weekend for Mercedes so far.
09:36But, yeah, I'm just looking right into their garage now.
09:38They were just sat in the garage.
09:40I think they'll put on a new set of tyres and see what they can do in the last...
09:43How many more minutes have we got?
09:45Ten minutes left?
09:46Yeah, 11 minutes and 54, to be precise.
09:4811 minutes and 54, there you go.
09:49Q2 will resume at 16.58, so a few more minutes' time.
09:55That'll be a great view over this street circuit.
09:58Actually, wherever you stand, in any grandstand around here, you've got a pretty awesome view
10:02with no corner quite like the other.
10:05And you can always get something happening at all.
10:09Technically, 20 corners around this track.
10:1112 that go left, 8 that go right.
10:13Turn 16, really, the final proper corner that sees you out onto those slight left, right,
10:19left kinks, 2.2 kilometres long.
10:21And it was Ant that worked out.
10:22It was 25 seconds they are spent at full throttle, all the way from 16 to Turn 1.
10:30Ferraris joining the fast lane at the head of the queue.
10:34And a split strategy there.
10:36See Leclerc on mediums, Hamilton on soft.
10:39So they are splitting the strategies.
10:41McLaren's boat still in the box there.
10:46Tire blankets on Oscar Piastri's car, the world championship leader.
10:52Last year's winner, of course.
10:53It was a brilliant race last year, wasn't it?
10:55I remember standing at the commentary box.
10:56I was jumping up and down on excitement next to you at one point.
10:58I think these commentary boxes can get quite affected by the wind.
11:01And even when we're jumping up and down, I think we were last year,
11:04that amazing move by Oscar Piastri down in towards Turn 1 to take the lead from Charles Leclerc.
11:10And also right towards the end, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez coming together.
11:14And what I think you have to reflect on is a bit of a needless incident at the time.
11:18Both saw podium slip from their fingertips.
11:20But it was an absolute cracker.
11:22And Baku more often than not delivers that.
11:24I think that's why it's been renewed for the next few years.
11:27That's the breaking news coming into this weekend until at least 2030 on the calendar.
11:32Yeah, I remember coming here for the first race in 2016.
11:35It was called the European Grand Prix then.
11:38And it was a very dull race.
11:40Nico Rosberg just blitzed it.
11:43But, and then we all thought, oh, that's not quite great.
11:47And then after that, every single race has been fantastic.
11:49So, yeah, no, long may it continue.
11:53And, Bernie, have you got something for us from the pit wall?
11:56Yeah, I'm just having a look around me as you speak at Corrine.
11:59But I can see the two Ferraris behind me stopped at the end of the pit.
12:01And one minute, just over one minute till we get the green flag here.
12:05All engines off.
12:06I have Lewis Hamilton beside me on soft.
12:08And then I have Charles Leclerc ahead of that on medium.
12:11On these runs now, as we look out, there's going to be time for two runs.
12:16Two runs.
12:17So, it's going to be two runs of a single lap each run, I think, what people will do.
12:21Maybe the medium will extend a bit longer than that.
12:24But they'll be hoping that they can get a clean lap in on this first one.
12:28So, Ferrari's winning at the moment in terms of who's going to get out of this pit lane at first.
12:33So, Bernie, do you think, just to come back to you, do you think that Leclerc on the mediums,
12:37he would try and do the time on the first push lap,
12:41even though we saw in the earlier parts of qualifying people,
12:44perhaps on the mediums, taking another lap to build up the temperature?
12:48I think with what we're seeing, Corrine, in terms of the yellow and red flags,
12:52you need to get a lap on the board.
12:53So, he needs to get the first lap down anyway.
12:56I'm just struggling with the cars firing up behind me.
12:58But he needs to get the first lap down.
13:00And then he can't go cool or double cool push again.
13:03But it is important, I think, with these conditions, to get a lap on the board very early.
13:07Yeah, critical.
13:08Bernie, you look like you're enjoying yourself down there.
13:10Is this bringing back memories from being on the pit wall?
13:12I'm loving it here.
13:13As I sit here all weekend, I'm absolutely loving it.
13:15We're straight in the zone.
13:17Bernie Collins down the pit wall for us.
13:19As the green lights comes on, the pit exit is open.
13:23And you would have seen flash up on your screen another yellow flag infringement noted,
13:27this time for Charles Leclerc's Ferrari as well.
13:31So, I'm trying to cast my mind out to see where that might have come from.
13:34I'm sure we're going to look at it shortly.
13:37But Stuart's certainly busy with the yellow flag infringement so far.
13:41We're not even in yet at the end of Q2.
13:43Oh, and it's been reviewed.
13:44No further investigation.
13:45Oh, right.
13:46I was just about to say Ant and Team Sky had to be straight on it.
13:49But they don't need to because he's been given the all clear.
13:52Right, so Lewis Hamilton around turn four.
13:56You can see, look at the leaves blowing towards us.
13:58That is a great indicator, isn't it, of which way the wind is blowing.
14:02And here, it's sort of swirling around in the buildings.
14:05But that entry to turn four, that's where they've got a little bit of exposure
14:10because there's a street that comes sort of behind it
14:12and the wind's blowing down that road.
14:15And that's why the entry to four is tricky.
14:17Similarly, from 15 down to 16.
14:20That's where Lewis Hamilton had an off right at the start of the weekend.
14:24Or I'd say had an off.
14:25He clipped the inside wall there.
14:28Got away with it fairly unscathed.
14:30Had to change the front wing.
14:31But we've seen greater incidents occur there.
14:33Cast your mind back to Nick DeVries a couple of years ago.
14:36No movement whatsoever from the number one garage,
14:40Max Verstappen's red ball.
14:42Are they just going for one single run here?
14:45Because there's no tyres on the car.
14:46They're just sitting tight.
14:47He doesn't have a time on the board like everyone else.
14:50So are they just...
14:53You know, it's a complete contrast to what Bernie was saying, wasn't it,
14:56about wanting to get a time on the board,
14:58which I fully agree with her.
15:01So somewhat surprised to see red ball sitting tight.
15:05But they're rolling the dice.
15:06Let's see.
15:07So Charles Leclerc, he's going to set the first benchmark,
15:10we hope, in this Q2 session.
15:13Yes, this is all about the fight.
15:15To get yourself up into that top ten
15:17and straight away it goes wrong for Charles Leclerc.
15:20He's not going to set the first benchmark in Q2.
15:22And there's a yellow flag there,
15:24which has now been withdrawn.
15:26But that would have compromised his teammate, I think,
15:29because Lewis was the next car behind on track.
15:31So Lewis is now in front.
15:32You can see the bottom left of our screen.
15:34But I wonder if he had a yellow.
15:37Let's have a look here.
15:38This is Leclerc.
15:40It's hard to see from this angle, but...
15:43Yeah, it just had the rear coming around on him.
15:46We saw it in free practice, didn't we, with Lewis, I think.
15:50A couple of times for Lewis.
15:51There, yeah.
15:51There's the yellow.
15:52Yeah, so Lewis will have to abort this lap.
15:53So that's a nightmare scenario for Ferrari,
15:55where one car's mistake has effectively affected
15:58the other car's ability to do a lap.
16:01Well, let's see how Isaac Hajar gets on.
16:04And can he give us the benchmark for Q2
16:07after a red flag to kick things off
16:09with Oli Behrman hitting the wall
16:11and having to pull off the road?
16:12The British rookie's qualifying is done,
16:15but another rookie still carrying on through
16:18is Isaac Hajar,
16:19who has not turned a wheel here before
16:21in Formula 1 machinery
16:23that was here last year in Formula 2 machinery
16:26and racing it around fastest in that opening sector
16:29as it's the leading car.
16:3135.6 is a good first sector for Hajar.
16:33It's only a little bit off
16:34what Verstappen's best was in Q1,
16:37so that'll be a bit of track improvement, I think,
16:39but still, he's fastest of anybody so far.
16:43Norris has gone through,
16:44but only 300 is quicker than Hajar.
16:46Underlining what I was saying before,
16:48Hajar's done a really good first sector, I think,
16:50and Carlos Sainz mid-sector a 40.8,
16:54so that is comparable
16:57and, in fact, quicker by a few tenths to Isaac Hajar
17:01and actually on par with the best we saw
17:03from Verstappen in Q1,
17:05so a good middle sector from Carlos Sainz.
17:07Yeah, and the sole remaining Williams as well
17:10as Gabriel Bortoleto crosses the line
17:13and puts down a 43.2,
17:15immediately displaced on the medium tyres
17:17by that Carlos Sainz-Williams,
17:19who pops himself up into that top position
17:20as those first lap times come in.
17:22Oscar Piastri, though,
17:24fastest of anybody on the first centre.
17:25I think that's just the racing goals
17:26getting out of the way.
17:27No more scares in this Q2 session,
17:30but you can never be so sure
17:33as Russell now goes quickest in...
17:36Oh, it's running well, actually, in the first sector.
17:37It's Piastri that's the quickest first sector at the moment.
17:40Yeah, so Stroll and Bortoleto on youth tyres,
17:43which is why they're some way off the pace at the moment,
17:46riding on board with Lando Norris
17:48as he comes up and goes to the top of the times
17:50at 41.39 for him.
17:53But Oscar Piastri a little bit quicker
17:55in the first sector of the lap.
17:58His middle sector a bit down on Lando by three tenths,
18:01so we'll see if he's made up anything
18:03the final part of the lap.
18:04Not quite enough, so he goes second.
18:06Decent middle sector for Kimi Antonelli
18:08as the yellow flag comes out briefly
18:09back for a green flag again.
18:12Everybody's going to be on tenterhooks
18:13in the pit lane to see if they can all get there at least.
18:17First bank of laps across the line.
18:19Here is Kimi Antonelli coming across the line now
18:22and puts himself up into third position.
18:26Decent lap, a good lap there from Kimi Antonelli.
18:28Sticking with his teammate George Russell just ahead of him.
18:31Now Lewis Hamilton making his way through turn 15 now.
18:36So I believe Charles Leclerc went off at turn three
18:39for that brief yellow.
18:40So Leclerc doesn't yet have a time on the board.
18:42The man chasing his fifth consecutive pole here
18:45still doesn't yet have a time on the board.
18:49But is he on a lap now?
18:51No, he's slowed down, hasn't he?
18:52So let's see what Hamilton does.
18:54By the way, Oscar Piastri's last sector
18:57down on Lando Norris.
19:00Norris got a toe.
19:01He was only 1.6 behind Fernando Alonso.
19:04So he came across the line 5k faster than Piastri.
19:07Anthony Davidson was explaining the benefit of the slipstream
19:11in terms of lap time, 2.5 tenths that was worth.
19:14So two McLarens, one with a toe, one without it,
19:172.5 tenths in the last sector.
19:19The gap between them, 2.5 tenths across the line.
19:22There you go.
19:23It's in the numbers.
19:24All right, let's have a look at the two Red Bulls here.
19:26We're riding on board Max Verstappen at the moment.
19:30Decent first sector.
19:30Because Tsunoda's actually run well in the middle sector as well
19:34and will get the effect of a toe from Fernando Alonso.
19:37So he is ahead of his teammate Verstappen at the moment.
19:40Yeah, Norris, watch Norris here.
19:41He's starting a lap, I think.
19:44And he is behind Verstappen.
19:47Is he starting a lap or is he coming into the pits?
19:49Might be coming into the pits.
19:50Let's have a look at the background.
19:52Tsunoda pops up into eighth spot.
19:54Verstappen will complete this lap.
19:56Has the DRS fly open.
19:58And what's it going to be, the opening benchmark?
20:00He does come into the pits and he puts himself up into second for Verstappen.
20:04Half a tenth away and about half a second between him and his teammate Tsunoda,
20:10which is kind of about where we expect Yuki to be at times.
20:13And there's a touch of the tech pro for Oscar Piastri.
20:17He's done that a few times this weekend.
20:19And it's not just him.
20:20They're lucky that that's a bit of tech pro and not hard barrier for them.
20:23So Leclerc has come into the pits.
20:25I've just seen outside our window.
20:26Let's have a look at the replay first.
20:27This is down at turn three where we believe he's had a moment.
20:33And, yeah, just gone straight into the runoff area.
20:36He's then come into the pits and they've done like a hot pit stop.
20:40I saw outside the window here of our commentary box to put another set of tyres on.
20:44So Charles Leclerc now, the man under pressure, four and a half minutes to go of the session.
20:50His teammate Lewis Hamilton, what did he get up to at 16?
20:53Oh, rear of the car moving around on the way in.
20:56At least kept it within track limits.
20:59But that would have cost him time, not just through the corner, but all the way up to the line.
21:04So Ferrari, after looking very good in free practice,
21:08looking like they were in the mix against Red Bull and Mercedes at least,
21:13maybe an outside contender to McLaren,
21:15now find themselves with one car in 10th.
21:18And the one, you know, their hot shot for qualifying so far this year at least,
21:23Charles Leclerc without a time on the board.
21:24Yeah, Charles Leclerc, the man who's been on pole here four times in a row with it all to do.
21:28Lewis Hamilton writes on the fringes as they head back out.
21:32This is Hamilton on the soft tyre.
21:34So with just over three and a half minutes to go,
21:36this is going to be absolutely crucial.
21:39Also at risk right at the moment will be Stroll, Bortoletto,
21:42and the other Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
21:45Oli Behrman will be out in 15th after clipping the wall early doors.
21:50All of Italy, all the De Forci will be praying for no yellow or red flags here
21:55as Charles Leclerc begins his lap.
21:57He's just flashed past our country box to start his lap.
22:00His teammate on the opposite part of the track going the other direction up to turn seven.
22:05And not a great first sector for Lewis Hamilton.
22:09Well, actually, no, 35-7.
22:10That's actually not too bad.
22:11It's not a personal best, but we're talking, you know, not too far away.
22:17Let's see now.
22:17Change of direction in the middle part of the lap
22:21as Leclerc now comes up to turn three.
22:26You can see in the picture, the bottom left of the timing tower.
22:29Hamilton up to 15, turning in, Harry.
22:31But Leclerc's got all the traffic in front of him,
22:33whereas Hamilton has nobody in front of him
22:35as he comes to the last proper corner on this track.
22:38Six and a half tenths down on Lando Norris,
22:40but up on his personal best in the middle sector.
22:43To the line now, 2.2 kilometers for 25 seconds.
22:48Lewis Hamilton's foot is flat to the floor on board his Ferrari
22:53to try and get himself across the line and reassure himself
22:57and Ferrari of a top ten position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
23:01A few meters left to run for Lewis Hamilton,
23:04and he improves his time, but it doesn't get him up any higher.
23:07That will help out those behind.
23:09Is that Hamilton, or is the track starting to fall away?
23:11We look to Charles Leclerc now, through the left-hander of 15.
23:14So many touching the Tech Pro on the outside wall.
23:18The final proper corner to go.
23:20Fastest in the middle sector, controls it nicely for Charles Leclerc,
23:25vying to get himself up from 14th.
23:27No time on the board.
23:29The last thing he needs now is any kind of yellow flag or any red flag
23:33as Fernando Alonso pops up into eighth,
23:35but that puts down the other Ferrari into 11th.
23:38Lewis Hamilton looking like he's going to be out of this one
23:41while the other Ferrari are Charles Leclerc.
23:44That's a bit more like it.
23:45He puts himself up into fourth,
23:47but it cements Hamilton down into 12th
23:50from looking like they had two cars short of a top-10 start.
23:53It's looking like only one now.
23:56Yeah, this is right on board with Leclerc.
23:57Big slide.
23:58All right, dude, did he touch the barrier?
23:59Will you see from the outside?
24:00If he didn't, I'll be shocked.
24:02Oh, yes, a light kiss, but he's got away with it
24:05and he's in to Q3 at the moment.
24:08Hamilton, he's on a slow lap now.
24:12He's crossed the line, Harry, I noticed,
24:14with about two minutes and four seconds to go.
24:17Has he got enough fuel?
24:18Is he carrying enough fuel for another lap?
24:21He's got enough time to do a slow lap and go again.
24:24Have they fueled him to go again
24:26because he's now done five laps on those soft drives?
24:29Let's see, he's coming around turn 13,
24:32as we can see on the driver tracker.
24:34Oscar Piastri up to the line
24:35and second fastest for Oscar Piastri.
24:38As Tsunoda embarks on his final flyer as well,
24:41the second Red Bull driver
24:42vying to get himself up into the top 10.
24:45Gabriel Portoleta coming through the final sector now.
24:48Lance Stroll's not having the most amazing lap either.
24:51Oli Behrman confined to being out of this one.
24:54Right, Hamilton's come out of 16.
24:56He's on the run up to the line.
24:57Watch the clock in the top left.
24:59He, we think, should make it just in time.
25:03This is Portoleta P13, so he's out.
25:06Hamilton is counting down.
25:08Four, there he is.
25:10Let's see, can Hamilton make it?
25:11Oh, he's boxing, he's boxing.
25:12He's coming into the pits.
25:13Hamilton's not going to do a final lap.
25:15He wasn't going to make it
25:16as the clock counts down to zero.
25:18He didn't have enough to do it on the track.
25:21Out of time, out of luck
25:23for Lewis Hamilton
25:24who looked so strong at the start of this weekend.
25:27Positive and optimistic
25:29in the hunts
25:30with teammate Charles Leclerc
25:32pulls up outside his Ferrari garage
25:34as Ferrari will have one car sail through
25:36into Q3 and the other.
25:39Out, Lewis Hamilton down in 12th.
25:41Now Lawson's popped himself up into 7th
25:43in the Racing Bulls.
25:44Max Verstappen's on a lap
25:45but he's safe up in 3rd right now.
25:47Hajar also out there
25:48and Verstappen, just to make things worse
25:50for everybody else, goes fastest
25:51of anybody in that middle sector.
25:53But what about Yuki Tsunoda?
25:55Can he displace Fernando Alonso
25:58who's taken the chequered flag?
25:59This is a crucial weekend,
26:01every weekend now.
26:02Critical for Tsunoda's future.
26:03Good lap from Tsunoda
26:05just about nicks it
26:07and gets himself up
26:08inside the top 10.
26:10Two Red Bull cars
26:11go through into Q3
26:14and Max Verstappen
26:15goes clear at the top
26:17by over, just under,
26:19a 10th and a half
26:20to Lando Norris.
26:22But that is Q2
26:23done and dusted.
26:24The clock is counted down to zero
26:26and out, go.
26:28Fernando Alonso
26:29in the Aston Martin.
26:31Lewis Hamilton
26:32in the Ferrari.
26:34Gabriel Bortoleto-Sauber.
26:36Lance Stroll's Aston Martin
26:38and not able to set a lap time
26:40after his early crash.
26:41Oli Behrman in the Haas.
26:43Shake of the head there
26:44for Lewis Hamilton.
26:45That's hugely disappointing
26:46because they looked reasonably good
26:50in free practice
26:51and yesterday Lewis was
26:52speaking very positively
26:54about the feeling he had
26:55from the car.
26:56He felt that they were finding
26:58real constructive changes
27:00to help him.
27:03Massive disappointment
27:04to be knocked down in Q2.
27:06Yeah, for Lewis Hamilton.
27:07Fails to reach Q3
27:09for the fifth time this season.
27:12Let's hear from Gabriel Bortoleto.
27:13I'm sorry, guys.
27:15Couldn't put it in this time.
27:16No worries, mate.
27:18It's a shame from Gabby,
27:19but you know what?
27:20He's done well, actually.
27:21He now makes it 11-6
27:23in the qualifying head-to-heads
27:26between himself
27:27and Nico Hülkenberg,
27:29but couldn't quite manage it
27:30on this occasion.
27:31We've lost Alonso,
27:32Lewis Hamilton,
27:34Bortoleto,
27:35Lance Stroll
27:36and Oli Behrman
27:37from Q2.
27:37Oh, my God, man.
27:59What the f*** was that?
28:01Just a crazy tailwind.
28:03Just a huge...
28:04Unbelievable!
28:06Yeah, it's brutal, Lance.
28:07What the f*** was?
28:25Let's go.
30:01Baku bites and it bit large stroll in Q2.
30:06Oh my God, man.
30:17What the was that?
30:20Just a crazy tailwind.
30:21Just a huge...
30:22Unbelievable.
30:23Yeah, it's brutal length.
30:27The city of wind in the land of fire living up to its name for Lance Stroll.
30:35Lewis Hamilton out as well of Q2.
30:39Down in 12, fails to reach Q3 for the fifth time this season.
30:44Only one Ferrari progresses as he was getting out of his car looking rather forlorn.
30:49Started this weekend with that positive optimism.
30:52And unfortunately for Lewis Hamilton, he will go no further in this qualifying.
30:58Q3 will get underway in less than two and a half minutes.
31:01So the top 10 shootout and the fight for pole position.
31:04And it's going rather well so far for the two racing balls drivers.
31:08Liam Lawson finished Q2 up in seventh just ahead of Isaac Hadjar.
31:13Our team principal on the pit wall this weekend, luckily for us, is Alan Permain.
31:17Alan, it's going rather well so far.
31:19How did that session pan out for you?
31:21Yeah, very well, of course.
31:23Fraught again, very difficult with all the yellows and reds and stuff like that.
31:28But the car's working well and both guys did a great job.
31:32Alan, just looking at how close it is, I mean, your lead car, Lawson, there.
31:37Just three tenths off pole.
31:39I mean, you've been in F1 a long time in the past.
31:42You know, three tenths would be sometimes a gap between first and second.
31:45Well, it was last year even.
31:47It's incredibly tight, isn't it?
31:49Yeah, it is.
31:50I mean, we always say in qualifying these days, the first battle is getting out of Q1.
31:55Honestly, it's so tricky where we are in that midfield pack.
31:59And Q2, perversely, can actually be a little bit easier than Q1.
32:04Less cars out on track now, Alan.
32:06Just ten in this Q3.
32:09What's the strategy for Q3 for Liam and Isaac?
32:12So, we have got a new soft left.
32:15So, only one set.
32:16So, we will be running on a scrub soft to start with, then a new soft at the end.
32:21To just try and maximise the track Evo.
32:25And now, with less cars on track, are you guys thinking about the slipstream at all?
32:29Because it's, I'm sure, a reasonable benefit if you can get a good tow out of 16, even if you lose a little bit in the middle sector?
32:37Or is that not something you want to plan?
32:39I think what we plan for, the optimum if you're running with everyone, is to be four or five seconds behind.
32:46So, you don't want to be first car.
32:48But also, you don't want to be any closer than four to five seconds.
32:53Okay. Well, look, Alan, it's going to be a really intriguing session.
32:56We will let you get back to work because we're only 20 seconds away before we get Q3 underway.
33:01So, best of luck for you and Liam Lawson and Isaac Hadjar.
33:04Let's see how well the Racing Bulls can run in this next final part, actually, of qualifying.
33:11So, before we get that green light on at the end of the pit lane, let's head down to it.
33:15And on the pit wall, Birdie Collins.
33:18Hello, Harry. So, I was just trying to have a look through the speed,
33:21trying to understand why Hamilton didn't quite make it through there, what went wrong in that lap.
33:25I think the first lap that he did on that soft tyre, a bit of a mistake on a turn 15.
33:30That's where he loses all the time down that very, very long straight.
33:34When I compare his second lap then, obviously, on the used soft tyre that he'd done several laps on up to that point,
33:40he just seemed to lose, really, from turn seven onwards, every corner a little bit,
33:45versus Leclerc, who was on a fresher beach of tyres.
33:48So, maybe Ferrari will rue not doing what they did with Leclerc,
33:52and doing that hard pit stop onto a different tyre set for Lewis Hamilton.
33:56There will be questions to be asked if whether some of the tyres he has remained in
34:00would have allowed him that advantage in that second half of the lap in order to get through,
34:04and not have that disadvantage to Charles Leclerc.
34:06Now, Birdie, just looking at Red Bull as well, Max Verstappen going fast,
34:09at the end of that session, we know how crucial the toe is all the way down towards turn one.
34:16When you've got Ayuki Tsunoda now up there, and the second car to play with,
34:20could that be the edge that Verstappen needs to maybe play havoc in this fight for pole?
34:26Yes, it could be, Harry. I think what you're trying to do is you're trying to get a perfect car out of views with you,
34:32is what we call it. So, a toe down the main street, but not anywhere else through the lap.
34:37So, maybe they release Verstappen significantly later than Tsunoda, and then they can't get that at the end of Verstappen's flying lap.
34:45But let's wait and see. It's hard to engineer that between your two cars on track.
34:48Bernie, we're in the comfort of the air-conditioned commentary box.
34:52Liam Lawson is reporting rain coming out of the pits.
34:55I could see some raindrops on the window. Do you feel anything significant down there in the pit lane?
35:00Oh, can you do the classic, put the hand out from underneath?
35:02I've put the hand out. I've put the hand out as Corinne was saying it there.
35:05And Corinne, I wouldn't switch my position for your air-conditioned commentary box, so you can keep that.
35:10It's very, very light. For an Irish person, it's not raining yet.
35:14But for others, maybe it's just tiny spits. It's not going to affect the track.
35:19It might cool it down a little, but it's not going to get anywhere near injured from what I can see at the minute.
35:23Yeah, there's been some rain jobs really throughout the day, but very, very light spitting down on us.
35:29Not really settling as everybody out on track at the moment with the exception of Max Verstappen.
35:35Let's head down to the pits. Ted, what have you got?
35:37Yes, dry where I am around Aston Martin, Mercedes, Red Bull in the pit lane.
35:41So just waiting to see the reigning world champion Max Verstappen going out, playing it cool.
35:46You would have seen the shine on Oscar Piastri's tyres.
35:49So medium the choice for the two McLarens, but used mediums for Lando Norris.
35:54So bear that in mind.
35:55Got to give a shout out for Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda as well.
35:59Great drives from them to get into this session.
36:02Yuki has found what he needed. He was struggling on single lap pace.
36:06Long runs looking better for him anyway, but he's really found some good speed to get into this.
36:11As well as well done to that. Carlos Sainz in the Williams delivering for them.
36:15Yeah, absolutely. Just the one Williams left in this now as Alex Albon crashed out in Q1.
36:21Looking to see both Williams up there, but Sainz having to bear all of the risk now.
36:27Yeah, Lando Norris says tyres shows that it's on two laps.
36:30So I wonder if this is a set that he went out, started to push and then got a red flag.
36:35So maybe didn't take, you know, the full life out of it.
36:39So we'll see. He's got going, as Ted said, on that slightly used set.
36:43The two racing bulls are the only two cars on soft tyres, both used softs.
36:48George Russell's gone off at turn four, by the way.
36:51So he, that's where that yellow is.
36:54Oh, oh.
36:55Lando nearly went off with it there as well.
36:57That is an aggressive reverse as well from George Russell.
37:00Yeah.
37:01And that is going to affect slightly as it goes green flag.
37:04He was coming up behind Russell as his teammate Antonelli.
37:07And Norris just ahead of him.
37:09And Piastri's coming through turn four now.
37:12So everybody, Max Verstappen, I think, was the last car to come out onto the circuit,
37:16who is now on an out lap.
37:18Carlos Sainz flying through the first and middle.
37:21It's definitely too slippery.
37:23You know, Russell went straight, it's raining.
37:26Max Verstappen reports it's raining out on track.
37:29And we are a little bit distorted view from our commentary box because it's slightly tinted, I think.
37:34But I wonder if Liam Lawson gets a lap in on the soft tyres and goes top of the times with a 1.42.560.
37:42Sainz immediately displacing him.
37:44Yeah.
37:45You're going quick while you can.
37:46Yeah.
37:47Lawson got a used set.
37:48So you've got to somewhat disregard his time.
37:51Bernie telling me that he is lightly spitting.
37:53Piastri is pushing hard.
37:54Look at him.
37:55Into 15.
37:56Gets a good run through there.
37:58He's got a car up ahead of him.
37:59That is George Russell who moves out of the way.
38:02Into 16 now.
38:03But Piastri's time.
38:04He's got a yellow somewhere.
38:06Leclerc.
38:07Leclerc at 15.
38:0815.
38:09Leclerc's off of 15.
38:10He's in the wall.
38:11Charles Leclerc in the wall.
38:14The man who has been on pole here four times in a row will not do it again.
38:18That's brought out the red flag.
38:20Ferrari's day has gone from bad to worse.
38:23It was only a few years ago at turn eight where Charles Leclerc found the wall.
38:28And this time in turn 15 in 2025.
38:32The Modegasque finds it once more and will not be in the fight for pole position.
38:38Not getting a lap time in.
38:40In this final part of qualifying here.
38:42In Azerbaijan.
38:43When Baku bites.
38:45It bites hard.
38:46And I'll tell you what.
38:47If you were Williams.
38:48You will be asking every one of your fans to do a massive rain dance now.
38:53Because if the heavens open.
38:55Carlos Sainz will be on pole position.
38:58Ahead of the two racing boats.
38:59But this is the replay of Charles Leclerc.
39:02Just too fast in there.
39:04Just not enough.
39:06Yeah it's just not enough grip for the level of speed that he was trying to carry.
39:10And the front of the car there just under six straight on.
39:13He locked up.
39:14But the cause comes from earlier.
39:16Just way way too much speed in the early part of that braking phase.
39:21Look at him.
39:22Throws the gloves down.
39:23And as you said he crashed at turn eight.
39:25Which led to one of the most spectacular rants we heard.
39:28You know the famous I am stupid rant.
39:30Don't know if he did that to himself.
39:32But yeah.
39:34Yeah.
39:35Now what happens with the weather.
39:36Because we could have.
39:38If we get a little bit of rain.
39:40Sainz, Norsen and Hadja are the top three.
39:42Yeah.
39:43Obviously you know they got seven minutes to go.
39:44They can all go back on track.
39:46But if the rain increases.
39:48And the track grip goes away.
39:50We could have those three as the top three.
39:52Yeah.
39:53Norris was compromised even before that.
39:55With George Russell's off at turn three.
39:58And Piastri as well.
40:00Didn't get to start his lap.
40:02Had to come in the end.
40:03And only three competitive lap times.
40:05Carlos Sainz the fastest in the Williams.
40:08A 1.41.
40:095.95.
40:10With Norsen and Hadja.
40:12The two racing bullies drivers the only two to follow him.
40:16The track is so slippery.
40:18The white lines are ice.
40:20Copy.
40:21So that's Kimi Antonelli reporting just how slippery it is.
40:25Particularly on those painted lines.
40:27Yeah.
40:28So this is something they've all got to keep an eye out for.
40:32Because they've got to go out again.
40:37But there's a couple of choices here.
40:39Like what do you do with a tyre choice?
40:40You know if it does get a bit damp.
40:44Then a softer tyre will help you.
40:46Well you can start dancing to see if it rains a bit harder.
40:50Exactly as I said Carlos.
40:52I love Carlos Sainz.
40:53Fantastic.
40:54He is sitting in well technically provisional pole position.
40:58But we'll have to keep a firm eye on how the weather pans out.
41:02I'm going to go down to pit wall.
41:04Bernie Collins.
41:05Have you got your hand out?
41:07I've not got my hand out.
41:08But I can put it out for you Harry.
41:10It was bitten a little bit harder earlier.
41:13Now it's calmed down a bit again.
41:15But we did discuss several times on Thursday with the drivers.
41:18Where there's those new cycle lanes.
41:20For example.
41:21Up around the castle section.
41:22The 15.
41:23That paint will be quite slippery when it's wet.
41:25And I think that we've not really experienced that many wet sessions here before.
41:30So that is a consideration for those drivers.
41:33So yeah.
41:34It's cursed the commentator for me a bit.
41:35Saying I didn't think it would affect the track.
41:37And then instantly it does.
41:38But it's not raining here at the moment again.
41:41It's dry.
41:42There was some light spits.
41:43Now it's stopped again.
41:44And just wanted to quickly say that.
41:46In terms of drivers who lost out in that red flag.
41:49Obviously many knots at the time.
41:51But Antonelli was just a pit entry on a flying lap.
41:55That would have been so beneficial to get that time down on the board before it went red.
42:00As was Piastri.
42:01Piastri was in between turn 19 and 20 on a flying lap on that red flag hit.
42:06So those two drivers were feeling they'd taken one good lap out of those tyres.
42:10So close to getting it set on the board.
42:12That didn't quite get it with that red flag from Leclerc.
42:15Just see on that camera angle Bernie that it's I don't know where that was.
42:18But it's certainly raining a lot outside that hospitality that we were looking at on that angle.
42:23And think back.
42:24This kind of reminds me of Brazil 2022 that Kevin Magnusson.
42:27Remember that.
42:28We all went out.
42:29K-Mag got the lap in and the rain intensified.
42:33And we had this amazing story of Kevin Magnusson on pole.
42:36It kind of reminds me of that.
42:39Well there's a sprint weekend wasn't it.
42:40So it really it's really annoying for the stats.
42:42Yeah.
42:43But it was mighty.
42:44But these things that can happen in Formula One.
42:46And this is all it takes.
42:47Charles Leclerc who was actually flying through the middle sector.
42:50And probably flying a little too much.
42:52And that is what sent him into the wall.
42:54Just because there's no.
42:55You just saw that image of the rain coming down a little harder.
42:59I wonder if there's certain parts of this track.
43:00Runs over six kilometers where it's heavier than others.
43:03Let's head back down to the pit lane and get more from Ted.
43:07Well I know it says on that massive hotel opposite the one that you can see the Hilton there with the blue glass.
43:12Expect the unexpected.
43:14But crikey Harry.
43:16This is getting absurd.
43:18I've actually gone to the back of the pit buildings by the government house here and had a look.
43:24And it is still drizzling around that sort of turn three, turn four area.
43:30But if I look up wind, it is clear.
43:34So where the pit lane is.
43:36If you went out the back of your commentary box, you'd see blue sky over the Caspian.
43:41And romantic as that sounds, it might not be great for Williams and Carlos Sainz.
43:46But we'll see.
43:47Anything can happen.
43:49You underlined how frustrated Kimi Antonelli was by losing his lap.
43:54Right in front of me when he came back from that run after the red flag, he just sort of hit himself on the crash helmet.
44:00Was so frustrated and got wheeled back into the garage.
44:04Maybe Toto Wolff can put a sort of fatherly pat on him and, you know, sort of calm him down ahead of this crucial last run.
44:11Yeah, I think it might be needed.
44:13He's also now been noted for a red flag infringement, which I think we're about to see here.
44:19Coming down the start, it goes red.
44:21And he backs off.
44:23And then let's hit him in.
44:25Red flag.
44:26Red flag.
44:27Man, I was too late.
44:29I couldn't come in.
44:30Yeah, no worries.
44:31That's fine.
44:32That's no problem.
44:34So there's a delay.
44:36He made to, he bought it his lap.
44:38He lifted off and he made to come into the pits, but he wasn't far enough.
44:42You have to, there's a white line that becomes a dotted white line.
44:45You have to be left off that before it becomes the firm painted white line to be deemed as in the pit lane.
44:51Yeah, I think that'll be fine in terms of the Stewart's investigations and sort of letting him off the hook.
44:56Because he, he clearly slowed down as soon as it went red, crossed the line slowly.
45:01I think that'll be fine.
45:03He shouldn't be in trouble for that.
45:04But it's a, it's a, it's a worry nonetheless that you don't want in the back of your head after it's been a bit of a messy session.
45:10However, it has been noted by race control.
45:14So they will, they will take a look at it.
45:16If we'll see if it gets upgraded to under investigation.
45:19But all in all, I think Kimi Anthony can still take some positives so far from, from this weekend at the moment.
45:25He's been closer to George Russell and he's been quick right from the off.
45:28Yeah, no, absolutely.
45:29And he's, you know, he's had a Q1 was a bit edgy as the sun seems to have come out now.
45:34So the Williams rain dance hasn't worked.
45:37I don't think.
45:38But, um, yeah, similar to, um, you know, just looking at, uh, Lando, I think it was last year.
45:46Similar thing, wasn't it?
45:47When the ref flag came out, he is close to pit entry.
45:49So we'll see.
45:51Um, you know, the, the stewards have lots more cameras and information and I'm sure they'll have a good look at that.
45:56But yeah, no, you're right.
45:57Antonelli Q1 was a bit stressful.
46:00Uh, he got through it and, and he's looked okay.
46:03He's looked, you know, there or thereabouts in terms of pace.
46:06But also I suppose that's what you get when you've got a rookie in the car with, with quite limited experience.
46:10You get these ups and downs.
46:11It's not as smooth sailing as it is for on the other side of the garage when you've got somebody of the experience now of George Russell.
46:17Yeah, I know, but I think the trouble is the, the rookie tag, you know, the, the.
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