Click here for full qualifying result🎀s for the Azerbaijan Gra꧟nd Prix

Sebastian Vettel says he was relieved to hold on to pole position for the Azerbaija🔯n Grand Prix after making a near-critical mistake on his final flying🌃 lap in the shootout at the end of Q3.

The Ferrari driver has clinched his third consecutive pole position and firs🥀t at the Baku City Circuit after a storming first lap in the top ten shootout with a 1m 41.498s to lay down the marker for provisional pole.

Vettel saw his lap unmatched by his front-running rivals to see him keep hold of his 53^rd career pole position in Formula 1 🌠despite coming under intense pressure from Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen before the Finn made a critical error on his final lap.

The current F1 cham🌃pionship leader✅ admits his Q3 session “wasn’t exactly perfect” after locking up at Turn 3 on his final lap but was delighted to keep in control to take pole position.

“I felt the car was good in Q1 and Q2 but in the l🧔ast segment in qualifying I had the car which does what I want, not have it as in pole position but I could put a good lap together,” Vettel said. ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ“The first lap I was really happy and there were two tiny bits where it wasn’t exactly perfect that I wanted to get right on the second run.

“I was a little bit down on the💞 time, as in I was a little bit faster but I locked up, it caught me by surprise at Turn 3 and I wasn’t sure whether I would try to go straight or try to hang on to it, I tried to hang on to it but yes fortunately it was enough as I had a really good lap on the first attempt.”

Vettel is joined by F1 title rival Lewis Hamilton on the front row in Azerbaijan, marking a face-off a year on from their infamous clash in Baku, and the German driver is bracing for a tricky race but has faith in his SF71H as he hunts his third victory in the openin🧸g four rounds.

“I think it will be an intense race and anything can happen as 🧸a𒈔 safety car is very likely,” he said. “I think the good job is that our car was very good this afternoon which should mean we are in a good place for tomorrow.

“I struggled a little bit ♌for confidence and trust in the car which is important around here but when it clicks it keeps coming so it was really enjoyable.”