Carlos Sainz is confident he will continue to fight for Formula 1 wins once he leaves Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old is now in the final stretch of his four-year stint with Ferrari, with whom he has won four races.

Sainz has three more opportunities to add to that number, starting with the Las Vegas GP next week.

While the Spaniard would love to bow out on a high with Ferrari, he does not believe joining Williams will end any hopes of further triumphs.

"Nothing would make me happier than achieving something like that before the end of the year," he said when asked if he's targeting victory across the final three races. 

"I'm going to give it my absolute best. If it comes, great, and I'll be for sure celebrating. And if it doesn't, I don't believe it will be my last chance of fighting for wins or podiums in Formula 1.

"I'll carry on working hard to try to get myself in a position – even if it's with Williams – to put myself in a position to win another race.

"That's what I'm hungry for and that's what I believe I can do, and that's what I've proven that I can do in Ferrari. So, yeah, it doesn't end there."

The most recent of Sainz's victories came at the Mexican Grand Prix last month when bouncing back from losing the lead to Max Verstappen.

Ferrari have not won a title in F1 since 2008 and are 36 points behind McLaren heading into the Las Vegas GP, which is followed by races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

However, Sainz's team-mate Charles Leclerc is hopeful of closing that gap by coming out on top in the States, having himself finished second behind Verstappen on this track last year.

"I think on paper it's a track where we should perform well," he told Sky Sports News.

"However, the fact we have improved a lot with tyre management, means on a track where it is so cold, it will be difficult to put the tyres in the right window.

"On paper, it still looks positive. Maybe not as positive as last year but seeing how close everything is, I believe we will have a shot to win it."

Lewis Hamilton said watching Ferrari and McLaren overhaul Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship has been "quite incredible" ahead of his move to the Italian team. 

Red Bull appeared to be set for another dominant year on track after Max Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races, with team-mate Sergio Perez also securing four podiums. 

However, Red Bull endured a mid-season struggle, with Verstappen failing to win in 10 races before his stunning wet-weather display at the Brazilian Grand Prix last time out. 

The Dutchman is on the cusp of a fourth world championship after title rival Lando Norris could only manage sixth in Interlagos, leaving him 62 points behind in the standings. 

But going into the final three races of the season, Red Bull find themselves third in the constructors' championship, 44 points behind leaders McLaren and 13 adrift of Ferrari. 

Before Verstappen's victory in Brazil, Ferrari had claimed back-to-back victories in the United States and Mexico. 

Charles Leclerc, Hamilton's team-mate for the Scuderia next season, won in Austin to emerge victorious for the eighth time in the competition. 

That triumph was then followed up by a win at the Autrodromo Hermanos Rodriguez by Carlos Sainz, who will make way for Hamilton and join Williams next season. 

And Ferrari's recent displays on track have Hamilton excited about the potential of challenging for an eighth world championship next season. 

"I'm very interested in my future, of course," said Hamilton. "And so, in that respect, keeping an eye, yeah. Watching everything that happens."

"If you look at somewhere like maybe China already, the Red Bull was like a second ahead.

"And it's been quite incredible to see the McLaren rise and then the Ferrari in the last few races, to see their progress and just trying to keep an eye on everyone's car and what they're changing and what they're adding.

"You know, we all watch the video, all the drivers, we all watch the onboard laps and we're always trying to see where we can gain time.

"And there's some cars that just react differently and better or worse in certain areas.

"And you're trying to figure out how you can find that within either your balance or get the team to develop the car in that direction."

Oscar Piastri explained he would be willing to follow team orders to help out Lando Norris in his championship battle after claiming pole position for the Sprint at the Brazil Grand Prix.

Piastri surged to the front row for Saturday's Sprint, edging McLaren team-mate Norris in the final moments, after the Briton had led proceedings throughout.

Norris was pipped by two hundredths of a second, though is in prime position to close the gap to Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings. 

Verstappen finished fourth, but is set to face a five-place grid drop for Sunday's race after Red Bull elected to change his power unit for the sixth time this season.

Norris is currently 47 points behind the Dutchman in the drivers' championship, with this weekend offering the perfect opportunity for him to close the gap at the summit. 

Despite his impressive effort, Piastri confirmed that the team is his priority, and he will focus on their overall result before they switch attention to the grand prix on Sunday. 

“We’ll see what the pace is like for both of us tomorrow. I think first and second is the first objective, and then we’ll see what order it is," Piastri told Sky Sports. 

“I know that I’m not in the running for the drivers’ standings and for the team, it doesn’t matter which way around we are. I know that’s the case and we’ll see.”

Quizzed further on whether he would give up the win outright, he added: “Yes. I’ve said I would from when we first had these discussions.

"It would be nice to win, but it’s one point difference, and it’s not the main race so we’ll see.

“Lando needs the points in the drivers’ standings a lot more than I do, but of course I still want to win.

"So if I put in the effort and have good pace, I’m sure that won’t go unnoticed, but let’s see.”

Charles Leclerc completed the top three for Saturday's sprint, with Verstappen just behind, while Carlos Sainz, the winner at the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend, took fifth. 

Mercedes' George Russell came in sixth, while the Alpine of Pierre Gasly finished seventh.

Liam Lawson, Alex Albon and Ollie Bearman, who replaced the unwell Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the Sprint, rounded out the top 10. 

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both expressed optimism over Ferrari’s start to the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, with the pair particularly encouraged by their long-run pace.

Sainz topped second practice after coming second in FP1, while Leclerc backed him up in fourth after missing FP1 due to Ollie Bearman’s latest outing for the Scuderia.

Bearman, who will join Haas next year, was involved in an incident with the Williams of Alex Albon in the first practice, sustaining damage to the front-left corner of the Ferrari. 

Sainz and Leclerc's display comes a week on from an impressive showing in the United States, with the pair achieving a second one-two this year after doing so in Australia.

If they do so again in Mexico, it will be the first time since Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in the 2008 season that Ferrari have managed three one-two finishes in a single year.

And Sainz is confident of their chances, saying: "We hit the ground running in FP1 with a good car, good set-up, then all FP1 and FP2 we just worked in fine-tuning a couple of things," Sainz said.

“Nothing major, so yeah, I’m quite happy with how everything feels. Especially the long runs feel good.

"I think when it comes to qualifying we’ll have a lot of challenge from our competitors, and over one lap it will be a tight battle.”

Leclerc echoed Sainz’s feelings after taking over from Bearman, with the Monegasque aiming to claim his fourth race win of the season that would surpass his 2022 total. 

“It felt good. It was a bit of a messy FP2 for everybody with the red flag of George [Russell] at the beginning," Leclerc said.

“It was quite a good FP1 to miss on paper because we would have half an hour more in FP2, but at the end it was just not great, because in the FP2 we couldn’t do the maximum laps that we wanted to do.

“But anyway, the feeling is good with the car. For me, even though we did two, three laps, we were still straight away in the pace. The long run seems to be good, so that’s really positive.”

Charles Leclerc insisted that Ferrari are "still targeting the title" after the Italian-based team claimed a dominant one-two at the United States Grand Prix.

Leclerc, who claimed an eighth win of his career last weekend, is now just 22 points behind McLaren's Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings after sealing a fifth podium in the last six races.

And with team-mate Carlos Sainz finishing just behind him, it has given Ferrari a significant boost in the constructors' battle, with their new total of 496 meaning that they trail second-placed Red Bull by only eight points, while McLaren remain in the lead on 544.

"Yeah, very, very happy," Leclerc answered. "Now we are still targeting the title – it's a long way to go, but it's a good start to this triple header."

Sainz echoed his team-mate's confidence heading into the final five races of the season, with the pair enduring a difficult campaign last year that saw them finish fifth and seventh respectively in the drivers' championship.

Both Leclerc and Sainz have already surpassed their season totals from the 2023 campaign, and the Spaniard is looking forward to his final five races with the Scuderia before he joins Williams next year.

"Last year, we spent all of the races defending, losing position," Sainz explained.

"This year, it looks we can just go on attack mode, don't think too much about tyres and just push and overtake which is fun, and enjoy it a lot, and I just hope it stays like that until the end of the year."

However, team principal Fred Vasseur was more measured in his approach to challenging for both titles, saying Ferrari are focused on "pure performance" going forward rather than on their position in the constructors' standings.

"We're not thinking about the championship, and I want to keep the team in this mood because I think it’s important to be focussed on pure performance, session after session, and not to have somewhere in your mind the championship," Vasseur said.

"One week or two weeks ago, everybody was speaking about McLaren. Before this, it was Mercedes and before this, it was Red Bull. We have to take it with a bit of distance. We never spoke about something like this because we know it’s still a long way.

"If something can arrive at the end, it will be more by the performance day per day than by the approach of the overall championship. We know perfectly that next week will be a completely different challenge.

"We will start from scratch, and you can have a completely different result in Mexico in one week time."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Charles Leclerc – Ferrari

Having put on an impressive performance in Austin last time out, Leclerc will be keen to make inroads to Norris and beyond in the drivers' championship.

Leclerc took the eighth of his Formula 1 wins at the last United States Grand Prix. If he takes another victory in the remaining five races, it will be his best year in terms of race triumphs in the competition (that would be four, surpassing the three in 2022).

He has also won two of the last four races in Formula 1 (Italy and the United States), as many wins for the Monegasque in the competition as in the previous 55 (Monaco 2024 and Austria 2022).

And Leclerc will be confident of adding to that tally, having enjoyed recent trips to Mexico. He is the only driver on the current grid to achieve at least two pole positions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (2019 and 2023).

Should he do so again, he will become the third driver to achieve three in Mexico City after Ayrton Senna (three) and Jim Clark (four), and the first to repeat pole position around the circuit since the Brazilian legend did so in 1988 and 1989.

Ferrari enter the weekend with confidence. They achieved their second one-two of the season last time out (also in Australia). If they can do that again, it will be the first time since Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in 2008 that the Italian team have managed three in a single year.

Max Verstappen – Red Bull

However, after winning the sprint race and finishing ahead of championship rival Norris, Max Verstappen will be looking to increase his advantage in the drivers' standings to try and wrap up his fourth consecutive title as soon as possible.

But the Dutchman has now gone eight races without a pole position and nine without a triumph - his worst respective streaks since the penultimate round in 2020, when he went 17 qualifying rounds without a win and 11 consecutive races without a victory.

Verstappen, though, will be confident of halting that streak around a track he has enjoyed in recent years. The Red Bull driver (five) is only behind Lewis Hamilton (six) for podium finishes around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, though the three-time world champion has scored more points (147) than the Briton (137).

The Dutchman has won all three races corresponding to Mexico City since the naming change back in 2021. Only in Abu Dhabi (four) has he won more in a row in his Formula 1 career.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 354

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 297

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 275

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 247

5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 215

Constructors

1. McLaren – 544

2. Red Bull – 504

3. Ferrari – 496

4. Mercedes – 344

5. Aston Martin – 86

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari "couldn't have dreamed for better" after claiming his third victory of the Formula One season at the United States Grand Prix.

The Monagasque started fourth on the grid but slipped ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen on Turn One at the start of a dominant performance.

His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz claimed second place but failed to put Leclerc under any pressure as he coasted along at the front of the pack.

It is the 87th time the Italian team have achieved a one-two in their F1 history, while Leclerc took his eighth win in his career.

The 27-year-old, however, was pleased with the way the team overcame what he said had started as a tough weekend in Austin.

"Very happy, it hasn't been an easy weekend until now. I have been struggling with the feeling in the car, but I had the confidence in the race and the feeling was better," he said.

"We said in the sprint race we weren't scared, but we felt that the others will improve, but today we still had the upper hand, so really happy with how it went today, a one-two for the team. We couldn't have dreamed for better.

"Very happy [to get the first Ferrari one-two in the US in 18 years], and now we are still targeting the title, it's still a long way to go, but it's a good start to this triple header."

Leclerc now sits just 22 points behind Norris, who finished fourth behind Verstappen, in the drivers' championship, while Ferrari are just 48 points off McLaren in the race for the constructors' championship.

Having snuck in front of the two title challengers so early in the race, Leclerc was happy that he was able to hold onto his lead throughout.

"It was a pretty good Turn One, that is exactly how I wanted to do, we had a good launch, and I knew it would be tight," he added.

"[Saturday], I was a bit of a victim being in the wrong place at the wrong time, [on Sunday] I gained from it and that helped a lot in our first stint because we had a lot of mega pace.

"In the second stint it was all about managing behind, but we did a great job, the pace of the car this weekend was really good and that's thanks to the engineers.

"They've been working like crazy to bring the upgrades that we had in Singapore, and it seems to be paying off. Everything worked out well, and we are really, really happy."

Ferrari claimed an impressive one-two finish at the United States Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc dominating to take the win.

Starting from fourth, the Monegasque took advantage of Lando Norris' distraction in his attempt to hold off Max Verstappen, slipping in front to take the lead on the very first corner.

While Carlos Sainz attempted to try and close the gap to his team-mate as he challenged for the win, he did not have enough to force a nervy finish for Leclerc.

That meant all eyes were drawn to the fight for third place, as Verstappen attempted to hold off title rival Norris, though he could only hold out until Turn 12 on lap 52.

The Brit finally got the move around the Red Bull driver, but came off the track to do so, and was handed a five-second penalty, which meant he finished in fourth behind Verstappen.

It means the Dutchman, who won the sprint on Saturday, increases his lead over Norris to 57 points in the drivers' championship with five races to go.

Meanwhile, George Russell had to start from the pit lane after a crash in qualifying but, remarkably, finished sixth – behind Oscar Piastri – the place he was supposed to start from.

But it was a disappointing day for his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who spun out inside the first three laps – on the same corner where Russell crashed in qualifying – and was unable to finish the race. 

Data Debrief: All eyes on Ferrari

It was a brilliant race from Leclerc, even if his win became a slight footnote due to Norris and Verstappen's eye-catching battle further back.

This was his eighth win in Formula One, and his third in 2024, his joint-most in a calendar year during his racing career (also three in 2022).

And it was a good day for Ferrari, who achieved the 87th F1 one-two in their history, and their second of 2024 - it is the first time they have achieved two in a single year since 2017. 

Top 10

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

6. George Russell (Mercedes)

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

9. Liam Lawson (RB)

10. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen - 354

2. Lando Norris - 297

3. Charles Leclerc - 275

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 544

2. Red Bull - 504

3. Ferrari - 496

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc thinks that the arrival of Lewis Hamilton can help take both the team and himself to another level.

At the start of the 2024 season, Ferrari shocked Formula One by announcing that Hamilton would replace Carlos Sainz and be joining for the following campaign.

His impending arrival is something that Leclerc is clearly excited about, as he explained in an appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast.

“When a champion like Lewis gets to any team, it brings a lot of motivation out of every single person,” Leclerc said.

“He will come along with all the experience that he's had over the years with Mercedes – a different way of working, a different vision – and this is always benefitting a team.”

Hamilton is a seven-time Drivers’ Championship winner with his last title coming in 2020, meaning he is level in the all-time standings with Michael Schumacher, while he also holds the F1 record for the most race wins ever (105).

Understandably, Leclerc is looking forward to being able to measure his own performance against a strong yardstick.

“Obviously for me it's going to be amazing because I’ll have, in the same car as me, the most successful driver in F1 history,” he said.

“That will be both extremely interesting for me to learn from one of the best ever, as well as a really big challenge and motivation to beat Lewis and to show what I'm capable of.

“With Lewis joining the team, he will definitely be a benchmark so it will be very important for me to be on my top level.”

On a personal level, Hamilton’s arrival will spell an end to the four-year period that Leclerc and Sainz have been together at Ferrari.

Leclerc was reflective about the relationship the pair have had while racing together, with Sainz set to join Williams in 2025.

While they have a good personal relationship, Leclerc said that it has not always gone smoothly.

“I think we get on very, very well,” he said.

“Yes, there have been many moments where, inside the helmet, I hated him and he hated me, because we didn't view the situation in the same way.

“But everything was fixed after a discussion between us two. We share many interests and we’ve had a lot of memorable moments that I will remember forever.”

Carlos Sainz acknowledged his crash in Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix left Ferrari facing an uphill battle, with team-mate Charles Leclerc also seeing his time ruled out.

Sainz crashed at the final corner, losing control of his car before he started a flying lap, while Leclerc exceeded track limits at Turn 2 in a one-lap decider on Saturday.

Leclerc and Sainz will start in P9 and P10 respectively in Singapore on Sunday, with Ferrari currently third in the competitive constructors' championship standings.

Both drivers attributed their poor performance to tyre temperature.

"When we get out of the garage with front tyres that are too cold, then you arrive in the first corner and you lock up, so I don't know what's gone on," said Leclerc.

"I don't have the answer yet, the team don't have the answer yet, but we need to look into it because we paid the price today."

Sainz echoed a similar sentiment as he apologised to the Ferrari team for his crash.

"A very strange one. I clearly underestimated, or overestimated in this case, the grip that I would get from a very cold tyre. I had to do a lot of back off in the last sector to let some cars by," Sainz said.

"I had a big moment. At one point I thought I could save it but then it snapped on me and it was a very unfortunate, very bad accident. Apologies for the team and for everyone, because it's not the way you want to finish qualifying.

"At the same time, this weekend we've been struggling a lot with temperatures, with getting the tyres in the right window, and today was just one of those bad ones."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insisted Sergio Perez "deserved more" after a "heartbreaking" crash denied him a place on the podium in Baku on Sunday.

Perez, who made a brilliant start to the season only to struggle in recent months, looked set to register his best finish since finishing third at the Chinese Grand Prix in April after comfortably holding P3 for much of the race.

However, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz snuck past him on the penultimate lap, and when the Mexican attempted to regain third place, the two tangled and hit the barrier, forcing them both out of the race.

That meant that George Russell instead claimed the final podium spot alongside winner Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

"He deserved a lot more," Horner told Sky Sports. "He should've at the very least been on the podium today.

"It was a magnificent race out at the front for so many laps. It was great to be in, it was exciting to be a part of, and it's just disappointing that it came to a close like that when it didn't need to.

"Unfortunately, he lost quite a bit of time on his out laps behind Alex Albon and then Lando [Norris] cost him dearly, which gave Oscar [Piastri] track position. I think without that, he would've won the race today.

"It's one of those things that's very heartbreaking for him and the team that so much effort goes in to lose a podium in the dying laps of the race."

It was a tough day for Red Bull all around, as Piastri's win coupled with Lando Norris crossing the line before Max Verstappen meant that McLaren leapfrogged them in the constructors'’ championship.

Red Bull are now 20 points behind McLaren ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, and Horner admitted he was not happy with how the tide had turned.

"Very, very disappointing," he added. "[The crash] destroyed the race for Checo.

"It's cost us a lot of damage and obviously vital points in the constructors' championship."

Charles Leclerc pledged to learn from his mistakes after squandering pole position at Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing second to Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc started at the front of the grid in Baku for the fourth time in a row, having also claimed a memorable triumph for Ferrari at their home circuit of Monza last time out.

However, Piastri passed Leclerc on a straight on the 20th lap, and a spirited fightback was not enough for the Monegasque driver as the McLaren held on for his second win of the year.

The result means Leclerc remains third in the drivers' championship standings with 235 points, behind Max Verstappen (313) and Lando Norris (254), while Ferrari remain third in the constructors' table.

Speaking about his battle with Piastri after the race, Leclerc said: "It is enjoyable when you've got many opportunities every lap. 

"I think maybe McLaren had less downforce and in the straights they were very quick, in the corners we were a bit quicker. 

"I couldn't get as close as I wanted and eventually we lost the race when I didn't defend as well as I could have at the end of the straight. Sometimes you make mistakes and I'll learn from it."

Asked at what stage he realised victory was unlikely, Leclerc said: "I think as soon as we put the hard tyres on. On the medium we were very competitive, and the car felt good. 

"Unfortunately for me, we didn't do any high fuel running in FP1 and FP2. We went for a setup direction which in the race was a bit more difficult to manage. 

"McLaren and Oscar have done an exceptional job and done better than us."

Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, was pushing for a podium finish when he crashed with Baku specialist Sergio Perez, taking both drivers out of the race.

"It's a huge shame for Carlos on the last laps," Leclerc said. "Hopefully everyone is okay, and obviously it's not a great day for the team."

Oscar Piastri held off Charles Leclerc to claim his second win of the Formula 1 season in a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

And the Australian's victory means McLaren have leapfrogged Red Bull in the constructors' championship after an impressive run.

Leclerc started on pole in Baku for the fourth time in a row, and, after winning in Monza last time out, put himself in a good position to get a second consecutive win after a strong start.

However, Piastri took advantage on a straight in the 20th lap, stealing in front of the Ferrari, who he managed to hold off in the latter stages despite a spirited fightback from Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris started in P15 after struggling in qualifying, but after a brilliant opening stint, he then slipped in front of his championship rival Max Verstappen with two laps remaining, eventually finishing fourth.

There was still a thrilling finish, as Sergio Perez, who has scored the most points in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Carlos Sainz both pushed to clinch the final podium spot and tangled in a huge crash on the penultimate lap, taking both of them out of the race.

George Russell benefitted from that to claim third, while his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished in ninth after a pit-lane start for taking a new engine ahead of the race. 

Data Debrief: McLaren gain the edge

McLaren now have a 20-point lead over Red Bull in the championship. It is the first time the team have held the lead after at least 17 Grands Prix since Brazil in 2005.

It was quite the result for Piastri, who has now finished in the top two in four of his last five F1 races (winner in Hungary and Azerbaijan, runner-up in Belgium and Italy). That is more than he managed in his previous 34 Grand Prix.

Norris will be pleased with his own exploits though, given where he started on the grid, and by nipping in front of Verstappen, he keeps his hopes alive in the drivers' championship. The gap is now 59 points.

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

7. Alex Albon (Williams)

8. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

10. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 313

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 254

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 235

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 476

2. Red Bull - 456

3. Ferrari - 425

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole-sitter for the fourth year in a row after a stunning showing on the streets of Baku. 

Leclerc, who emerged victorious in Monza last time out, is in a good position to close the gap to both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. 

Norris will need an unlikely turn of events to close his 62-point gap to the Dutchman as he encountered yellow flags on his final lap in the first session and will start Sunday's race in 17th. 

Verstappen, meanwhile, will start in sixth after being outqualified by team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished fourth, with Mercedes' George Russell sandwiched in between.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso came next, with Williams producing an excellent display with drives from Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon to complete the top 10. 

Leclerc's performance saw him record the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five). 

Speaking after qualifying, the Monegasque was confident about his chances of becoming the first driver since Felipe Massa to achieve consecutive victories on at least two occasions. 

“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season, I really like it, it hasn’t been an easy weekend because of the crash in FP1," Leclerc said.  

"It didn’t make me lose confidence as I knew that the pace was there, but you’ve got to be back up to speed.

“In Q3 and qualifying it was all about trying to stay as far as possible from the walls and on the last lap I went for it a bit more and the lap time came very nicely.

“The car felt really good and everything felt great, so it’s amazing to be on pole."

Norris was on course to make it through into the second session comfortably but a yellow flag as he approached the final straight saw his flying lap ruined. 

“The lap was easily good enough, but there was a yellow flag so I had to back off," Norris said. 

“Following is pretty much impossible around here and overtaking is a lot worse than everyone thinks.

“I am not expecting much from 17th, but we will put in a good plan tonight and do our best of course.

"I have been wrong, and I hope there are plenty of chances, but I’m not expecting so.”

But when asked, McLaren team-mate Piastri was confident that the team have the pace to score some big points in the race for the constructors' championship. 

"I think from where we are starting, yes," Piastri said.

But following around here is really tough, we saw yesterday, it was pretty tough once you get behind someone, hopefully get some clean air, which will be good.

"We'll see what we can do. I think our race pace is good, but again, the Ferraris are certainly not slow.

Qualifying results

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 

9. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

10. Alex Albon (Williams)

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was cautious about his chances of winning two Formula 1 races in succession for the first time in his career despite going fastest in the second practice of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Leclerc recovered from a crash in the morning to set the pace in the afternoon, 0.006 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez and 0.066 seconds in front of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

Championship leader Max Verstappen finished fifth, while his challenger Lando Norris struggled and languished in 17th after the second classification in Baku.

Despite going quickest, Leclerc admitted there were issues with his Ferrari car, leaving work to do if he wants to get pole position in Azerbaijan for a fourth successive year.

He said: "The thing is that when we started FP2 there was an actual problem on the car that we saw later on, once I stopped, and we changed that particular part.

"It's one of the tracks that I quite like, and we've been pretty quick in the past, but that doesn't mean it will be the case for tomorrow.

"I mean, the crash, there's not much to go into. I braked a little bit too much on the right, the track was still dirty, I locked up, and it was too late to go to the right [run-off] – so I went into the wall."

Norris endured a far more difficult afternoon, only mustering 17th after coming across Alpine's Pierre Gasly in the final sector when attempting his fastest lap.

The Brit cannot afford many slip-ups from now until the end of the season, as he looks to overhaul Verstappen's 62-point lead with eight races remaining, but was downbeat about McLaren's chances this weekend, believing they were lagging behind their competitive rivals.

"We're quite a long way off," Norris said.

"I’m having to push way too much to try and get a lap time out of it.

"Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, they're all very similar. And then there's a good 0.3 to 0.4 second gap back to us, so a lot of work to do.

"Ferrari are very quick here. Mercedes will be quick with these track conditions. It's very slidey out there."

Fred Vasseur has predicted a "huge fight" for the constructors' title this season after Ferrari's success at the Italian Grand Prix last week. 

Charles Leclerc led McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in Monza, claiming his second victory of the season and the team's second win on home soil in the last six years. 

Leclerc has now already scored 11 more points than in the entire previous season (206), and closed the gap to second-placed Norris in the drivers' championship to 24 points. 

Having also secured a long-awaited triumph in Monaco in May, Vasseur believes Leclerc's win in Monza was among his best experiences as Ferrari team principal. 

“For Ferrari and for Charles to win in Monaco, to win in Monza – I think it’s probably, with Imola, the two or three that you want to take in the season," Vasseur said.

"But, at the end of the day, you are not scoring more points in Monza than in Baku.

“Mathematically speaking it’s a win, emotionally speaking for sure it’s something very important because we have a huge support from the beginning of the week from the Tifosi, starting on Monday at the factory in Maranello.

“We had already lots of people in front of the entrance, and the best way to pay them back is to win.

"But it’s not easy, it’s not always under our control, but for sure for the team it was a good way to pay them back for their support.”

With eight races remaining, Ferrari are now only 39 points away from Red Bull at the head of the constructors’ standings ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next week. 

But Baku has proved a difficult track to navigate for the Italian team in recent years, with Ferrari having taken the most pole positions without ever winning the race (four with Sebastian Vettel in 2018, and Leclerc from 2021 to 2023).

Should Leclerc achieve pole position, it will be the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five).

However, in terms of his expectations for the remainder of the campaign, Vasseur believes that the team will be part of a “huge fight” given how close the pack is.

“I think it would be a huge mistake to try to draw any conclusions or to change the plan [after winning at Monza],” Vasseur said. 

“There is a very long way to go until Abu Dhabi, there is something like 450 points on the table.

“It’s so tight, the fight – honestly, I spent a couple of years on the pit wall but it’s the first time I think in F1 we have this situation where eight drivers can win the race, without an accident or crash.

"Four teams are able to win or be on the podium, and it’s changing from session to session.

“For me the most impressive was probably Spa where you had a McLaren in FP1, Red Bull in FP2, we started from pole and Mercedes won the race, and we have the feeling that it is almost like this everywhere, except Lando dominating last weekend in Zandvoort.

“But you can expect that, I think until the end of the season, it will be like this, that it will be a huge fight, and it’s true that with eight cars with this kind of competitiveness that one team can do a one-two and also a seven-eight.

"I don’t want to speak about DNF, but this can make a huge difference in terms of points. Let’s be focused on Baku first. Step by step we will see.”