Qualifying for the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for Friday, September 25 at 4 PM Local Time in Baku.
The race is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 26.
F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Starting Grid
Here is the starting grid at the Baku City Circuit-
- P1 – George Russell (Mercedes)
- P2 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- P3 – Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- P4 – Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- P5 – Lando Norris (McLaren)
- P6 – Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- P7 – Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- P8 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- P9 – Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- P10 – Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- P11 – Oliver Bearman (Haas)
- P12 – Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- P13 – Alex Albon (Williams)
- P14 – Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- P15 – Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
- P16 – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- P17 – Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
- P18 – Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
- P19 – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- P20 – Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
- P21 – Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
- P22 – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
What Happened at Azerbaijan GP Free Practice Sessions?
Thursday’s practice sessions have provided an early picture of the order. George Russell topped both practice sessions for Mercedes. Max Verstappen was steady and also impressed in his Red Bull after finishing second and third in FP1 and FP2, respectively.
The four-time Formula One champion then topped the FP3 session on Friday before qualifying. Verstappen is chasing his first Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season, despite six podiums, including a recent second-place finish in Madrid.
(Photo by Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images)
Meanwhile, Ferrari has been trying to close the gap. Hamilton said Ferrari had not matched the step forward made by rivals in FP2. Furthermore, there are also rumors surrounding Fred Vasseur’s future at the Ferrari helm during the Azerbaijan GP. Additionally, Hamilton received his punishment update during FP2.
Norris is also heading into Baku to respond after missing a potential win in the Spanish Grand Prix. Antonelli arrives as the championship leader with an 81-point advantage over his Mercedes teammate, Russell, after winning in Madrid.
Isack Hadjar is also back with Red Bull after missing the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grand Prix while recovering from a wrist injury. Liam Lawson returns to Racing Bulls after standing in as Hadjar’s replacement.
Aston Martin faces a separate grid complication with both Alonso and Stroll receiving penalties after engine changes pushed beyond the allocated limit
What Happened With Kimi Antonelli at Azerbaijan GP Qualifying?
Kimi Antonelli hit the wall at turn 1 at Baku City Circuit during qualifying. The current championship leader’s qualifying session ended, and his hopes of getting a good result at Baku took a serious hit.
The Italian looked visibly disappointed; however, race engineer Bono could not do anything to repair the car. It remains to be seen if Antonelli can recover and come back this weekend on race day.
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