Lando Norris fastest in final practice ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Lando Norris set the pace in final practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The title-chasing British driver had a hefty bang into the wall which brought an early end to his running in Friday’s second practice but his McLaren escaped without any significant damage.

He was the first of the front-running drivers on track on Saturday but swiftly complained that his car felt “sketchy”.

Baku lived up to its moniker as the ‘City of Winds’ as 20kmph gusts swept across the street circuit on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Norris initially struggled to find pace in the challenging conditions but surged to the top of the charts in the closing stages to end the session 0.222seconds clear of Max Verstappen.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who like team-mate Norris also banged into the wall on Friday, had another troubled session as he narrowly avoided another collision with the barriers before also taking to the run-off area at turn one.

The Australian, who leads Norris by 31 points in the standings, was third-fastest and over two tenths behind his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton, fastest on Friday, was fourth for Ferrari. His team-mate Charles Leclerc, who will bid for a fifth consecutive pole position in Baku, appeared to have genuine pace before a nudge against the wall and he ended the session down in 10th.

Qualifying for Sunday’s race gets under way at 1600 local time (1300BST).