Charles Leclerc News

Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is seen chasing down thieves of his wristwatch in a newly released video by the police department. 

Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen suffered "deja vu" with another retirement.

Leclerc saved his best for last, posting a flying lap of one minute 17.868 seconds, to be nearly three-tenths of a second quicker than Dutchman Verstappen. It was the Monagesque's 11th career pole and second of the season.

Charles Leclerc, who recorded the fastest lap, leads the overall standings by 12 points from team mate Carlos Sainz with 21 races to go. Max Verstappen is 20 points off Leclerc in third. 

Ferarri's Leclerc was fastest in the first qualifying session but Red Bull's Verstappen hit back in the second, making it to the top-10 shootout in one take.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc grabbed a surprise pole position for the Azerbaijan Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday in a qualifying session littered with crashes and four red flag stoppages.

Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc announced on Thursday he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was self-isolating at home in Monaco with mild symptoms. The 23-year-old said he was feeling okay.

The race, on a sunny afternoon at the scenic Red Bull Ring, was held in front of empty grandstands and no fans for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vettel finished 15th and 12th respectively after being caught up in incidents on the virtual version of the Sepang circuit that hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix between 1999 and 2017.

Valtteri Bottas was second for Mercedes with five-times world champion Lewis Hamilton a distant third after tyre wear took its toll in a thrilling battle with the 21-year-old Monegasque.

Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton joined the 21-year-old Monegasque on the front row for Mercedes, with Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas third and Ferrari`s Sebastian Vettel fourth.

Leclerc stormed to pole position ahead of Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari dominated qualifying but celebrations were curtailed as the sport was rocked by Frenchman`s Hubert`s death after a high-speed crash on the same track later in the day. 

Last year’s race at the 4.5km circuit, just half an hour away from Vettel’s home town Heppenheim, is where it all began to go wrong for the four-times world champion.

While Mercedes driver Hamilton took his record sixth British Grand Prix on Sunday, Vettel rear-ended Red Bull`s Max Verstappen, was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision and finished 16th.

Leclerc had been told he did not need to do another lap in the first phase of qualifying, Ferrari believing his time was good enough for him to go through and that they could save a set of tyres.

Leclerc lapped the tight street circuit with a best lap of one minute 11.265 seconds, 0.053 faster than Mercedes` Valtteri Bottas.

On Sunday the Ferrari driver could become the first Monegasque to stand on the podium at his home race since Chiron finished third in the inaugural 1950 world championship for Maserati.

The Alfa Romeo driver had been eighth on the provisional starting grid and his demotion means Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc, who crashed in the second phase of qualifying, will move up from ninth.

The Finn was leading around the streets of Baku last year when a puncture three laps from the end handed victory to Hamilton instead.

The Austrian, who won 10 Grand Prix for three different teams between 1986 and 1997, told reporters it was too early in the season to favour Vettel over his young Monegasque teammate.