Daily Times

BAKU: Charles Leclerc planted his Ferrari clear of in-form Sergio Perez at the top of the times in practice Friday for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and hoped his team have ironed out the problems that surfaced in Monaco. A bungled strategy contributed in Leclerc getting shortchanged with only fourth place from pole in Monaco behind Red Bull’s Perez last time out. As a result the winner on the streets of Baku 12 months ago arrived back in town being talked about as a viable title contender ahead of this eighth round of the season. Mexico’s most successful Formula One driver is only 15 points behind his world champion teammate Max Verstappen and six shy of Leclerc. Perez was quick out of the blocks dominating first practice but he ended the day 0.248sec behind Leclerc who on Saturday will be favourite to nail his sixth pole out of eight this term. Verstappen, who has yet to even make a podium in Baku, posted the third quickest time, a further 0.108sec adrift, with Fernando Alonso placed fourth, the two-time world champion clearly meaning business in his Alpine. Leclerc was initially livid at missing out on converting the prime bit of real estate he occupied at the head of the grid in his home Monaco grand Prix into a third win of the season, his team bungling their strategy enough to allow Perez to take the chequered flag.