Charles Leclerc has consistently produced magical laps at the Baku City Circuit, and he will be looking to continue his perfect qualifying record at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver has taken pole position at the track for the last four races in a row, a remarkable achievement that has cemented his reputation as a "Baku specialist."
Despite his incredible run of pole positions, however, the Monegasque driver has yet to stand on the top step of the podium in Azerbaijan.
The Baku City Circuit is a notoriously difficult track to master, with its combination of high-speed straights and narrow street sections.
But Leclerc has found a way to be consistent and to deliver a perfect lap every time.
Charles Leclerc's incredible qualifying record in Baku
Since 2021, the Ferrari driver has been unbeatable in qualifying, taking four consecutive pole positions.
The last time a driver took five poles in a row at a single circuit was Lewis Hamilton at the Hungaroring.
Despite his remarkable run of pole positions, the 27-year-old has yet to convert any of them into a race win at Baku.
He came closest last year, but fell victim to a surprise attack by Oscar Piastri soon after their pit stops, which left Leclerc second at the flag.
The curse of the Baku pole position continues
The curse of the Baku pole position has now been a major talking point in Formula 1.
Despite his incredible qualifying record, Leclerc has not been able to convert any of his four pole positions into a race win.
The reasons for this are a combination of bad luck, poor strategy, and a car that has, in previous seasons, struggled with race pace.
In 2021, his Ferrari was far from the class of the field, and he dropped off the podium.
In 2022, he suffered a reliability issue and was forced to retire.
In 2023, the car again struggled over a race distance, and he dropped to third.
Last year, in 2024, he had his best chance yet, but he was caught off guard by Oscar Piastri, who performed a "breathtaking" overtake to take the lead.
The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Leclerc, who will be hoping to finally end his Baku curse this weekend.