P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Outside of the dominant polesitter Charles Leclerc, stand-ins Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto were the unquestionable stars of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, claiming big wins against experienced, highly-regarded Formula 1 team-mates
In qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was the dominant polesitter, but stand-ins Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto shined brightly against their more experienced Formula 1 team-mates. Colapinto, filling in for Logan Sargeant at Williams, reached Q3 and outpaced team-mate Alex Albon to secure a ninth-place start. Bearman, in place of Kevin Magnussen at Haas, narrowly missed Q3 in 11th, ahead of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. Both Bearman and Colapinto, in only their second F1 race weekends, impressed after overcoming earlier crashes. Their strong performances earned praise from Hulkenberg and Albon, with Colapinto ultimately edging out in qualifying due to a mishap with Albon’s pit stop during Q3. Despite challenges with tire management and track conditions, Albon praised Colapinto for match pace and commended the teamwork and support at Williams.
