Qualifying in Baku lasted over two hours. Six red flags were displayed during the three sessions. The track had deteriorated compared to yesterday. Low temperatures, strong winds, and light showers of rain were the main factors. In the end, the strongest of them all prevailed: Max Verstappen. Piastri crashed in Q3, but Norris didn't take advantage and only finished seventh. Ferrari fared poorly, while Sainz and Lawson took second and third place.
Qualifying for the Baku GP begins in difficult conditions
Green light at 14:00 PM Italian time. Qualifying in Baku begins with several unknowns. First and foremost, the weather. Indeed, rain fell on the Azerbaijani circuit both overnight and between FP3 and the start of Q1. The track has therefore become more difficult to negotiate, but conditions will undoubtedly improve as the laps go by. This is why most of the drivers are taking to the track right away., to channel lap after lap and seek the best achievable time. They are all on soft tyres, except the Red Bull drivers and Piastri on medium tyres.A strategy to try to perhaps keep a red compound for Q3.
The session is interrupted however from a red flag just over eleven minutes from the end of Q1. Alexander Albon hit the wall on the inside of Turn 1. Serious error of judgement for the pilot Williams who thus abandons his car at the edge of the track. It takes the race marshals a while to clear the track. Qualifying in Baku resumes at 14:15 PM Italian time. The first to take to the track is Pierre Gasly, followed by the rest of the grid who don't want to waste any time. Now, however, unlike what was seen at the start of the session, many riders have chosen to fit medium tyres. Between these Kimi Antonelli, who at seven minutes was forced to abort his lap due to a long run on turn fifteen.
Hamilton takes first place on red tyresBehind him are Piastri and Leclerc. Verstappen is trying to complete his flying lap when but another red flag is raised. Nico Hulkenberg crashes into the barriers at Turn 4, He loses his rear wing but regains the pit lane. After just over six minutes, track activity resumes. The Q1 finale was a tense affair, with the drivers making their final attempts, leaving Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly and Albon. The first three are Norris, Verstappen and Leclerc, as the session ends with another red flag after Colapinto throws it into the wall at Turn 4, right where in the meantime his teammate he had ended up in the escape route nearbyThe accident was strange, as it occurred under a yellow flag and after the Argentine had completed his final qualifying lap.
Q2 starts late due to previous incidents
The drivers wait in the car until 2.48pm. The marshals are clearing the track of debris scattered by Franco Colapinto after the accident at Turn 4. The cars finally make it out onto the track. The first to do so is Carlos Sainz's Williams, followed by Bearman and Hadjar. The two Ferraris also emerge immediately, with Hamilton leading Leclerc. No one manages to complete the flying lap because Oliver Bearman hits the wall with his Haas and breaks the right rear suspension in Turn 3. He abandons the car on the track and the stewards are forced to expose the fourth red flag. After a while the green flag is shown again. Leclerc takes to the track on medium tyres, but goes wide at Turn 1 and has to abort his lap. Hamilton, however, is ready with the soft tyre.
With seven minutes to go, the first timed times of Q2 finally arrive. Norris, with red tire, takes first position. Piastri, in the same conditions, does not go beyond fourth place, while Russell and Antonelli are in second and third place on medium tyres. Then comes Max Verstappen, who takes second place on the medium compound. Leclerc in great difficulty, who was forced to abort two more laps, after two more errors. The Monegasque driver returned to the pits for a new set of medium tires.
Lewis Hamilton also sets off on his fastest lap. The English driver, however, was unable to improve and remained in tenth position. Behind him, meanwhile, finally arrives Leclerthere which, loaded with a fuchsia in the central sector, he manages to get fourth. The Monegasque, among other things, he hit the right rear hard at the outside wall at the exit of turn 2. Among the eliminated are Alonso, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Stroll and Bearman. He saves himself at the last minute Yuki tsunoda, while Verstappen sets the best performance of Q2.
Complicated Q3: Leclerc and Piastri crash into the wall
The qualification in Baku finally comes to an end. The only cars to take to the track with the red C6 tires are the Racing Bulls. All the others are on medium tires. Meanwhile, a few timid drops of rain are starting to appear on the cameras. The drivers are complaining about what's happening, as the track's grip is deteriorating. However, the session was interrupted by yet another red flag. This time it was the one who made a mistake Charles Leclerc, with the car completely stuck in the wall exiting Turn 15. While the marshals are working, the rain continues to fall. Meanwhile, however, Carlos Sainz is leading the timesheets, followed by Lawson and Hadjar.
A long time passes before the restart. The rain seems to have stopped, although it is already less insistent. McLaren chooses the red tyre, perhaps because it is easier to warm up on a cold track like the current one. Mercedes, however, decides to fit medium tyres anywayRed Bull made the same choice for Verstappen. With five minutes to go, the hot laps begin, But they're once again interrupted by yet another red flag. This time, the one who's at fault is Oscar Piastri. The Australian goes wide under braking at the third corner and enters his car completely into the wall. Incidentally, a curious fact: the sixth red flag in Baku qualifying means an all-time record. This surpasses Imola 2022 and Brazil 2024, which both had five red flags. This is due to a track plagued by strong gusts and, now over, light showers of rain. The asphalt temperature is therefore very low, resulting in less grip for the cars.
At the umpteenth restart there are Verstappen and Russell with new tyres, red and yellow respectively. The first to go for what will be the only available attempt for pole position is Lando Norris. The English driver, however, is imperfect, even hitting the wall at Turn 15. At the end of qualifying he is only seventh. Pole position in the end is Max Verstappen, thanks to a 1:41.117. According to a great Carlos Sainz, who made one last great lap to at least keep the front row. Third, incredibly, Lawson with Racing Bull. Complete the second row Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Then Russell, Tsunoda. Following Norris is Hadjar, and the accident-ridden Piastri and Leclerc round out the top ten. Thus ends, after nearly two hours, qualifying for the Baku GP.
