Motor racing-Verstappen on pole in Baku after Piastri and Leclerc crash

Formula One F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan - September 20, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen during qualifying REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

BAKU (Reuters) -Max Verstappen put Red Bull on pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday after McLaren's Formula One leader Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed in a chaotic qualifying session with a record six red flags.

The battle for grid slots took 45 minutes longer to complete, on a windy afternoon with gusts causing havoc, than Verstappen needed to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 7.