FORMULA ONE qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was suspended FOUR TIMES as four different drivers crashed into the wall.
After a feline frenzy gripped the paddock on Thursday and Friday, drivers and fans alike had their racing heads in gear for qualifying.
Sky SportsF1 qualifying in Baku was suspended three times following a series of crashes[/caption]
Sky SportsAlex Albon was the first to crash out[/caption]
GettyHe hit his front left against the wall at Turn One and put his wheel out of joint[/caption]
Sky SportsNico Hulkenberg then drove his car into the barrier[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialIt was the second suspension of the session as he lost his front wing[/caption]
Sky SportsBut there was then another heavy crash at the same turn at the end of the session[/caption]
Sky SportsFranco Colapinto crashed the front of his car into Turn Four after losing control[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialIt left more debris on the track for the stewards to clear up[/caption]
However, in the first Saturday afternoon session racing was suspended as stewards were forced to bring out TWO red flags,
The first came out as Williams star Alex Albon made a huge error going into Turn One.
Albon, 29, reached blistering speed down the 2.2km Baku City Circuit straight – the longest in F1 – but dropped a huge clanger by mistiming his turn into the corner.
This mistake saw him smash his front left wheel into the corner of the wall, putting the wheel axle out of joint and putting his car out of action.
Realising his major gaffe, Albon promptly dropped an x-rated apology down the team radio, saying: “I’m out sorry.”
The session resumed minutes later after stewards cleared the track.
However, there was then a lock-up from Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg as he went straight on into the barriers at Turn Four.
The German ace was able to drive away, but having lost his front wing, stewards had to red flag the session to clear the track of debris.
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Following a second stoppage, the session resumed and saw the clock run down to zero.
However, the two Alpine’s of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto then suffered a nightmare at the same corner as Hulkenberg.
Gasly suffered a snap of his car control and snapped his car back to the left to go into the run-off area, narrowly avoiding a crash into the barrier.
But Colapinto was not so fortunate, as seconds later the Argentine under-steered into the corner before seeing the rear end of the car step out to the left and smash the front of his car into the barrier in a heavy shunt.
With the five slowest drivers – Albon, Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Hulkenberg and Colapinto – out of the qualifying, Q2 got underway.
However, it was more of the same as Ollie Bearman crashed his Haas into the wall to bring out a FOURTH red flag.
The British driver suffered a nightmare at Turn Two as the side of the car brush against the wall on the exit, but it was enough to put his car out commission.
Fortunately, all drivers were unharmed in their respective crashes.
