Norris holds off Piastri by 0.043s in tense Baku qualifying duel

Lando Norris took pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.043 seconds, holding off his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in a session that both drivers admitted came down to a single corner.

Norris set his time on his first run in the final part of qualifying, then aborted his second attempt after locking the front-left into the castle section. Piastri went quicker in the first two sectors on his last lap but lost almost two tenths of a second between turn 16 and the flag.

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"I knew it was close because I could see the delta going green," Norris said afterwards. "You cannot afford to be greedy here. One touch of the wall and your session is over, and so is your car."

A front row with the championship at stake

The two McLaren drivers arrive in Baku separated by eleven points with eight rounds to go, and the team has so far refused to name a number one. Team principal Andrea Stella repeated on Saturday evening that both cars would be free to race.

We have no intention of deciding this in a meeting room. They will decide it on the track.

Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, half a second back, and remains the only driver other than the two McLarens to have taken pole at this circuit in the last five seasons. Max Verstappen completed the second row after a scrappy final run.

What it means for Sunday

Baku has produced a safety car in every one of its last six races, and the long run to turn one means pole is worth less here than at any other circuit on the calendar. Norris has led the opening lap from pole only twice this season.

Tyre choice adds a second variable. Both McLarens will start on the medium compound, while Ferrari has kept an extra set of softs for the race, a decision that suggests Leclerc plans an early stop and a long second stint.