Others

Indian Formula 2 driver Kush Maini endured a harrowing crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix F2 feature race on Sunday. Starting fifth on the grid, Maini's car malfunctioned at the start, leaving him stranded on the grid. As the race commenced, several cars managed to avoid Maini, but a car from behind collided with his stalled vehicle, triggering a massive crash that brought out the red flag.Thankfully, Maini and all the drivers involved in the incident emerged unscathed. Maini, representing Invicta Racing, had qualified a promising fifth for the feature race. After failing to score points in the sprint race on Saturday, the Indian driver was eager to redeem himself. However, his race was cut short by the catastrophic incident, which saw cars flipping upside down.Spanish driver Pepe Marti and Danish-German driver Oliver Goethe were also significantly impacted by the crash. However, they too managed to escape without serious injuries. The fact that all drivers remained unharmed underscores the advancements in motorsport safety.Maini is currently in his second season in Formula 2 and is part of the Alpine F1 Team's driver academy, alongside Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. However, Ocon will be replaced by Australian rookie Jack Doohan in 2025. Maini is vying for a reserve driver role at Alpine for next season.After a strong start to the 2024 F2 season, Maini's performance plateaued mid-season, and he currently sits 11th in the Driver's Championship standings. His teammate, Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto, leads the championship.Following the restart, the Azerbaijan GP feature race was won by Dutch driver Richard Verschoor, followed by France's Victor Martins and Italy's Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli is set to succeed Lewis Hamilton at Formula 1 team Mercedes in 2025.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has once again proven his dominance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, securing pole position for the fourth consecutive year. The Monegasque driver, fresh off his victory at Monza, will be joined on the front row by McLaren's rising star, Oscar Piastri.However, reigning world champion Max Verstappen's recent struggles continued as the Red Bull driver could only manage sixth place on the grid. Verstappen, who has not won a race in six attempts, will be eager to break his losing streak in Baku.Lando Norris, Verstappen's closest rival in the championship standings, suffered a major setback by being eliminated in the first qualifying session. The McLaren driver will start from a lowly 17th position, making his task of closing the 62-point gap to Verstappen an even more daunting one.Leclerc's Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, will start alongside Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull on the second row. George Russell, in the Mercedes, will occupy the third row alongside Verstappen.Norris acknowledged the challenges he faces from the back of the grid, especially on the narrow streets of Baku, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. "I'm not expecting a lot from 17th, but we will put in a good plan tonight and do our best," said the Briton.With Leclerc in pole position and Verstappen starting further down the grid, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises to be an intriguing battle for supremacy. The narrow and unpredictable nature of the Baku City Circuit could lead to unexpected twists and turns, making it a race that is sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats.