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After a remarkable qualifying session that included a record-breaking six red flags at the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen positioned first, ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz.

After colliding in qualifying’s final stretch and failing to turn in a good final lap, McLaren’s championship rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will start seventh and ninth.

Sainz was on pace for pole position after setting a time for Charles Leclerc in the final few minutes of qualifying.

Verstappen was the only driver to save Sainz’s time when the session restarted for the final time with just over three minutes left. Piastri then crashed shortly after the session was restarted.

Liam Lawson, a Racing Bulls’ driver, will finish third after Sainz and him in the opening session.

Following one of the many incidents during the session, Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell came in fifth and sixth fastest, but the Italian is facing a charge of overtaking after a yellow flag overturned.

After the Australian crashed at Turn Three in the middle of the final session, Norris had a fantastic opportunity to make up ground for Piastri, who currently leads the championship by 31 points.

However, Verstappen was unable to complete the lap by 1.122secs, which was a scrappy final lap with plenty of moments on the exits of corners. The second Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull also defeated him.

In the final run, Norris claimed, “Just wasn’t quick enough.” Was always good and we thought we went first out hoping that at least I would get the lap in if another crash, but the track was still inundated with rain.

I made a minor mistake and hit the wall on the final lap, but I was compensated for it because I was the first one out, and I was disappointed.

“To try to win may seem a little unrealistic, but we still need to get the most points and do some overtaking,” said Max, who has been at the pace all weekend.

Isack Hadjar’s second Racing Bull, who was the other driver to record a time at the start of the session, placed eighth, ahead of the crashers Piastri and Leclerc.

After Hamilton’s top-10 shootout, Leclerc’s crash gave Ferrari another bad day.

The two-hour session saw the most red-flag stoppages, breaking a previous record held by the 2024 Sao Paulo Grands Prix and the 2022 Emilia-Romagna Grands Prix.

Williams’ Alex Albon, who struck the inside apex at Turn One, causing the first of three red-flag stoppages in the first session, was the first to crash.

After both Alpine drivers made mistakes at the same corner after the restart, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg crashed at Turn Four, ending the session a few seconds early.

Pierre Gasly accelerated up the escape route before his team-mate Franco Colapinto erred when he entered the same corner despite the wave of yellow flags and crashed out of the exit.

The next red flag was then raised by Haas driver Oliver Bearman as he entered Turn Two and oversteered into the wall. After the session ended without incident, Piastri hit the wall as he exited Turn 15, but he was able to continue on his lap.

Due to the beginning of light rain, which may have contributed to the Leclerc and Piastri crashes, the excitement increased during the final session.

Leclerc, who had spent the previous four years on pole in Baku, immediately entered the Turn 15 tyre barrier before Piastri, who had already done it, did the same thing at Turn Three.

Ferrari didn’t put him on medium tires for the second session, according to Hamilton, who felt that was a mistake.

He claimed that in Q2, “we should have used a medium.” We knew it would be quicker than everyone else, and I can’t explain why we didn’t use it, but we will keep it internal, but there has been significant improvement.

1. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen

2. Williams vs. Carlos Sainz

3. (Racing Bulls) Lawson

4. (Mercedes) Kimi Antonelli

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Red Bull, Yellow Bull, Yuki Tsunoda

7. McLaren’s Lando Norris

8. The Racing Bulls (Isack Hadjar)

9. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri

After losing to the United States in the semi-finals with a 2-0 lead, Great Britain continues to search for its first Billie Jean King Cup title.

After Sonay Kartal’s battling with Emma Navarro in the first singles match, Katie Boulter had to defeat world number seven Jessica Pegula to keep Britain in the lead.

However, Pegula rallied after Boulter’s first set ended up winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, thereby making her team’s 31st appearance in the final.

Both Boulter and Kartal, who were ranked more than 60 places above her in a tight match, will be left with regret for their failed chances.

In the last four years, Great Britain has reached the semi-finals three times, but their most recent appearance was in 1981.

Boulter has a stellar record representing Great Britain, and a 18th victory in her nation’s 24 matches came after taking the opening set against Pegula.

The 29-year-old broke her opponent’s serve twice, winning 13 of her 15 first-serve points, and saving the only break point she faced.

However, her standard dropped in the second set, with four double errors quickly causing her to lose back-to-back service games.

She did not earn another break point until the 10th game, which she failed to convert as Pegula forced a decision, despite responding with a break on the first occasion with a break.

For Boulter, the third set played out in frustratingly similar ways. She had her serve broken in the third game right away, but she was unable to contact Pegula again.

Pegula, the 2024 US Open champion, won the fifth game by smashing winners and passing the ball backwards before holding the lead of 15.

World number 82 Kartal had a fantastic year, most notably reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon, and she was hoping to win against a player in the top 20 for the third time this year.

She won 89 points, matching American world number 18 Navarro, despite the disparity in their rankings.

However, it was crucial for Navarro’s composure, who saved two match points against Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals, to save two break points in the third set’s opening game.

Kartal won the next four games and won the first set, quickly letting go of any nerves, pouncing on a poor start from Navarro, who struggled with her serve and forehand, to win the game.

She won all three of her break points, used her athleticism and the full width of the court to create multiple winners, and dominated their baseline exchanges. Her self-assurance was on full display when she deftly chased down a drop shot before nailing a smash winner to finish the set in style with a hold-to-love.

Kartal broke once more in the second set and once more in the fifth game, but Navarro immediately intervened. Then, a more erratic Kartal gave Navarro three set points, with the second of which she added to bring the match level.

The resilient Navarro survived an early scare before the pair exchanged breaks midway through the decider, and momentum persisted into the final set.