Charles Leclerc heavy smash leads to F1 record being equalled

Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari in the final part of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to equal the number of red flags in an F1 qualifying session.

Leclerc went into the session on the back of four consecutive pole positions at the Baku Street Circuit, albeit failing to convert any into a victory.

In the top-10 shoot-out again this year, and aiming for a fifth successive pole, the Monégasque wrecked those hopes by ploughing straight on into the Tecpro barrier at Turn 15, burying the nose of the car.

It brought out the red flags again for a fifth time, matching the record set in last year's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and the 2022 race at Imola.

The session was stopped with seven minutes remaining, and with Williams' Carlos Sainz on provisional pole ahead of Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.