Lando Norris staged a strong recovery after a Friday crash, leading the final practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. His McLaren teammate, championship leader Oscar Piastri, secured third, just behind Max Verstappen.
Norris himself acknowledged his `costly` error during Friday`s second practice, which resulted in significant damage to his car and forced him to miss the latter half of the session. However, he returned to the demanding Baku City Circuit in excellent form, setting a best lap of 1:41.223, two-tenths faster than his closest competitors.
Championship leader Piastri, currently 31 points ahead of Norris, experienced his own challenges during the session, notably a near-miss at Turn Four. Despite these errors, he managed to climb to third position.
Verstappen, fresh off his pole position and victory against the McLarens at Monza two weeks prior, once again demonstrated his strong pace, outperforming Piastri and signaling another potential challenge for the top spots.
Lewis Hamilton, who was fastest on Friday, secured fourth place, indicating he will also be a contender. In contrast, Charles Leclerc, often strong in Baku qualifying, dropped to tenth in the other Ferrari.
Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for 1 PM, promising an exciting battle for pole position among several teams.
According to Karun Chandhok, a Formula 1 analyst, the prospect of Red Bull and Ferrari challenging McLaren in qualifying is quite encouraging, suggesting a thrilling session ahead.
