The Latest Breaking News from Valtteri Bottas

Perez benefited when team-mate Max Verstappen pitted just before a safety car, which cost him two places.

In the first sprint of the season, which included a new qualifying format (see below), Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led from pole ahead of Perez, as Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes) clashed over third. After a safety car interruption, Verstappen retook third from Russell.

A 1m41.697s from Leclerc amid the first runs in the eight-minute SQ3 session proved unassailable, and a second set of laps from both Perez and Verstappen could not topple the Monegasque's searing pace around the Baku circuit.

A 1m41.697s from Leclerc amid the first runs in the eight-minute SQ3 session proved unassailable, and a second set of laps from both Perez and Verstappen could not topple the Monegasque's searing pace around the Baku circuit.

The first ever F1 Sprint qualifying session took place on Saturday morning, with Charles Leclerc hoping to make it back-to-back poles on consecutive days ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

The Ferrari driver secured his first pole of the year on his final effort of the session, a 1m40.203s, having ratcheted up his pace from a strong opening run in the last part of qualifying to prove unassailable for the two Red Bull drivers.

The Ferrari driver secured his first F1 pole of the year on his final effort of the session, a 1m40.203s, having ratcheted up his pace from a strong opening run in the last part of qualifying to prove unassailable for the two Red Bull drivers.

Leclerc will start ahead of the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in Sunday’s race after the one-hour qualifying session on Friday, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

As the only chance to get prepared for all of the competitive sessions to come this weekend, a big queue formed at the end of the pitlane ahead of the 60-minute session getting underway, headed by Verstappen.

As the only chance to get prepared for all of the competitive sessions to come this weekend, a big queue formed at the end of the pitlane ahead of the 60-minute session getting underway.

However, some prefer to do things that take them out of their comfort zone and that provide not only a useful distraction from the pressures associated with their profession, but that can also lay the foundations of the life that will follow their retirement.