It was chaos in Baku during Friday’s Free Practice 1 session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as it saw not one but TWO crashes, and big names were involved.
First up, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc brought a dose of drama early on when he misjudged a corner and smacked right into the wall. Leclerc, who’s no stranger to street circuit mishaps, hit the barrier hard in Turn 3, damaging the front end of his car.
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It’s safe to say his start to the weekend was far from ideal. “I took the dirt on the outside,” Leclerc admitted on team radio after the incident. But hey, it’s Baku – the walls are unforgiving. Leclerc’s crash brought out a red flag, halting the session while the marshals cleared the track.
The Ferrari team had its work cut out getting the car ready for quali, and Leclerc will definitely be looking to shake this off and regain his focus for the rest of the weekend. The smash caused extensive damage, but he still achieved fastest lap.
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But the drama didn’t end there as Williams’ Franco Colapinto also had a rendezvous with the Baku barriers. In a separate incident, Colapinto lost control, slamming into the wall. His Williams car was wrecked, adding more to the Baku carnage, and yet another red flag followed. Not the debut in Azerbaijan he’d hoped for.
With both Leclerc and Colapinto suffering setbacks, it’s a reminder of just how brutal the Baku City Circuit can be. As always, expect the unexpected! Both drivers will be hoping to put these crashes behind them as the weekend heats up.
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