2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Formula 1 headed east at the end of September, with Baku’s high-speed streets providing the next test in the 2026 F1 World Championship. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix had built a reputation for chaos, jeopardy and late-race drama, thanks to a circuit that combines flat-out blasts, heavy braking zones and one of the tightest sections on the calendar.

Race Guide

Season: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race date: Saturday, 26 September 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Baku City Circuit
Laps: 51
Circuit length: 6.003km
2025 winner: Max Verstappen

Pole position
Driver	George Russell	Mercedes
Time	1:42.526
Fastest lap
Driver	George Russell	Mercedes
Time	1:44.916
Podium
First	George Russell	Mercedes
Second	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Third	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing

This year’s event came with an unusual twist: the Grand Prix was held on Saturday to avoid a clash with Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day. The entire timetable moved forward accordingly, with practice beginning on Thursday and qualifying taking place on Friday before the lights went out one day earlier than usual.

Baku also opened a demanding flyaway triple-header, with Malaysia and Singapore following immediately afterward. That combination of a shifted schedule, relentless travel and three contrasting circuits would test every team’s preparation—and leave drivers with little time to recover if Azerbaijan delivered its customary disruption.

Baku Stats & Facts

Formula 1 first raced on the Baku City Circuit in 2016, when the event was staged as the European Grand Prix. It became the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the following year and quickly established itself as one of F1’s fastest and most unpredictable street races, combining extreme speeds with walls that punish even the smallest mistake. The 3.7-mile circuit’s defining feature, a 1.4-mile main straight—the longest on the calendar—where cars exceed 200mph and the slipstream regularly producing three-wide battles into Turn One. That braking zone has also delivered its share of controversy, most famously when Red Bull team-mates Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo collided there in 2018.

Date	Session	Local Time
24th September 2026	Free Practice 1 (FP1)	12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
24th September 2026	Free Practice 2 (FP2)	4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
25th September 2026	Free Practice 3 (FP3)	12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
25th September 2026	Qualifying	4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
26th September 2026	Race	3:00 pm local time

Championship background

Kimi Antonelli arrived in Baku with a commanding 81-point lead in the championship after back-to-back victories at Monza and Madrid. With eight rounds scheduled to follow the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the opportunity for his pursuers to mount a sustained title challenge was beginning to disappear—and another Antonelli win would tighten his grip on the championship considerably.

Baku, however, is no place to assume the points are already won. Its high-speed straights, unforgiving braking zones and closely packed barriers demand total commitment in qualifying and absolute concentration across the race. A minor misjudgement can turn into a costly retirement in an instant.

Oscar Piastri discovered precisely that as championship leader at the circuit during the 2025 season, when Baku’s walls punished his mistake. It would be a timely warning for Antonelli: his advantage may be substantial, but on a weekend this volatile, the title picture can change far more quickly than the standings suggest.

Race entries

Isack Hadjar returned to action for Red Bull Racing having recovered from a wrist injury. Hadjar sustained the injury while training over the summer break, missing Zandvoort, Monza and the all-new Madring race weekends. That also meant that Liam Lawson headed back to Racing Bulls after standing in for Hadjar at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda, who stepped in for Lawson, returned to reserve duties.

The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2026 season’s entry list, featuring no reserve drivers for the race.

Tyre choices

Pirelli chose the C3 as the Hard, C4 as the Medium and C5 as the Soft for Baku. That represented a step towards the harder end of the range compared with the 2025 race, when the C6 was available as the Soft but went unused in the race as drivers favoured the longer-lasting C5 and C4.

Baku’s relatively smooth, low-abrasion surface ahead of the 2026 Grand Prix made a one-stop race the clear favourite. The C5 could be capable of surprisingly long stints—as it had demonstrated at Monza, a circuit with some comparable characteristics—while the C3 could struggle to find a meaningful role. Some graining would be possible during Thursday’s early practice running, when the street surface offers its lowest grip, but was unlikely to become a defining performance factor.

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Pirelli Tyres

The bigger challenge would be keeping the tyres in the correct temperature window. Baku’s stop-start layout repeatedly loads the rubber under heavy braking and traction, yet the enormous flat-out run from the final corner to Turn One allows the tyres to cool significantly. That can leave the front axle vulnerable to lock-ups at the end of the straight, particularly after a safety-car restart or on an out-lap.

Teams would therefore balance braking stability and low-speed traction against the need for an aerodynamically efficient, low-drag car. Track temperatures could offer some relief: although Baku is generally warm, the buildings surrounding the circuit cast extensive areas of shade, helping to limit surface temperatures and reduce the threat of overheating.

FIND OUT MORE

Free Practice

George Russell set the pace in opening practice for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clocking a 1m 45.387s to beat Max Verstappen by 0.400s, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton close behind on medium tyres. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli remained fifth despite a hydraulic failure ending his session after only 25 minutes, while brake problems, mechanical stoppages and two Virtual Safety Cars disrupted the hour. McLaren also endured a difficult start, with Oscar Piastri sixth and Lando Norris only 14th after both lost valuable track time.

In FP2, Russell completed a Thursday practice sweep at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, setting a 1m 43.347s to lead Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.552s, with Max Verstappen third after complaining about the ride of his Red Bull. Arvid Lindblad caused a red flag by crashing at the Turn 8-9 castle section, while Ollie Bearman stopped with an engine problem shortly after the 4.29pm restart. Ferrari placed Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton fourth and fifth, ahead of Lando Norris, as McLaren used a makeshift repair for its FP1 floor issues.

Max Verstappen topped final practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a 1m 43.922s, denying George Russell a clean sweep of the three sessions by just 0.099s. Lewis Hamilton finished only 0.111s off the lead in third, ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, as strong winds and a dusty track made conditions difficult. Several drivers used the escape roads while pushing on qualifying simulations, with Russell narrowly avoiding the Turn 7 barrier and Lance Stroll ending his session early after damaging a wheel against the wall at Turn 1.

Formula One History Recommends

Free Practice 1 Classification

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP1, Thursday 24th September 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:45.387	24
2	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.400s	22
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.404s	25
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.437s	25
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.878s	9
6	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.011s	17
7	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.053s	26
8	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.214s	23
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.237s	19
10	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.301s	21
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.484s	22
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.506s	22
13	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+1.552s	29
14	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.594s	14
15	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.607s	22
16	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.656s	22
17	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+1.866s	24
18	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.136s	23
19	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.448s	24
20	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+2.486s	8
21	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.160s	22
22	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.928s	22

Free Practice 2 Classification

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2, Thursday 24th September 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:43.347	24
2	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.552s	16
3	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.827s	23
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.126s	24
5	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+1.318s	23
6	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.484s	22
7	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.496s	23
8	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.510s	22
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.521s	21
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.943s	25
11	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.132s	23
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+2.334s	25
13	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.413s	23
14	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+2.447s	24
15	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+2.507s	20
16	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.776s	24
17	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2.874s	22
18	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+3.044s	4
19	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.390s	26
20	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+3.454s	10
21	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+4.056s	24
22	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+4.542s	9

Free Practice 3 Classification

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP3, Friday 25th September 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:43.922	21
2	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.099s	21
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.111s	18
4	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.351s	21
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.622s	22
6	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+0.715s	20
7	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.824s	20
8	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.977s	20
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.254s	22
10	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.670s	20
11	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.683s	24
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.770s	25
13	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.932s	18
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.996s	21
15	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+2.076s	18
16	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.082s	19
17	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.154s	24
18	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+2.300s	23
19	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+2.349s	22
20	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.590s	19
21	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+4.665s	19
22	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+5.357s	9

Qualifying

George Russell claimed his fifth pole position of the 2026 season with a dominant 1m 42.526s in Baku, beating Charles Leclerc by 0.837s as Oscar Piastri missed the front row by just 0.001s. One of the largest pole margins in recent times. Isack Hadjar qualified an impressive fourth ahead of Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen managed only eighth. The major shock came in Q1, where championship leader Kimi Antonelli hit the Turn 1 wall and was eliminated in 16th, leaving him with a major recovery task in Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Full Qualifying Report

Qualifying Classification

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying, Friday 25th September 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:43.615	1:43.462	1:42.526	26
2	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:44.360	1:43.780	1:43.363	23
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:45.014	1:43.814	1:43.364	22
4	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	1:44.161	1:43.880	1:43.500	21
5	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:44.571	1:44.020	1:43.672	21
6	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:44.260	1:44.037	1:43.858	22
7	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:44.489	1:44.106	1:44.047	20
8	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:44.041	1:43.706	1:44.081	24
9	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:45.104	1:44.629	1:44.566	25
10	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:45.106	1:44.683	1:44.963	21
11	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:45.228	1:44.775		17
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:45.535	1:44.860		18
13	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:45.031	1:45.001		17
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:45.039	1:45.016		18
15	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	1:45.381	1:45.106		16
16	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:45.504			5
17	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	1:45.799			10
18	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:45.920			10
19	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:46.593			9
20	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	1:46.658			9
21	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:47.337			9
22	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	1:48.290			10

What happened in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

George Russell held off Max Verstappen in a breathtaking dash to the line to win the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, surviving two Safety Car periods and a final-lap attack to claim his third victory of the season by only one tenth of a second.

Starting from pole position, Russell converted his qualifying advantage into the early lead and established control during the opening half of the race. Behind him, Oscar Piastri was forced to defend against the advancing Red Bulls of Verstappen and Isack Hadjar as the Mercedes driver began to build a cushion at the front.

The race changed dramatically when Alex Albon made an error in his Williams, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car. Russell’s hard-earned advantage disappeared, bringing Verstappen and the rest of the leading group back into contention and placing the leader under immediate pressure at the restart.

Russell initially resisted that threat, but the race was soon neutralised for a second time following a multi-car incident involving the two Alpines and Lando Norris.

Franco Colapinto locked up and collected Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, with Norris also eliminated in the incident. It was a costly end to the afternoon for McLaren, removing one of its cars from the race and creating another compressed restart at the front.

When racing resumed, Russell had Verstappen directly behind him with the victory on the line. The Red Bull driver remained within striking distance across the closing laps, using Baku’s long straights to apply intense pressure to the Mercedes.

Russell refused to crack. He positioned his car carefully through the final sequence and reached the chequered flag just 0.1s ahead of Verstappen, securing a narrow but hard-earned third win of his 2026 campaign.

For Verstappen, second place represented his best opportunity yet to take a first victory of the season. The Dutchman had topped final practice but qualified only eighth before working his way into contention during the race, ultimately falling short by the smallest practical margin.

Hadjar completed the podium in third, sealing a double top-three result for Red Bull. It continued an impressive comeback weekend for the Frenchman after he had missed the previous three rounds because of a wrist injury.

Charles Leclerc brought his Ferrari home in fourth, while Kimi Antonelli staged one of the drives of the race to finish fifth. The Italian had started only 16th after hitting the Turn 1 wall during Q1, but avoided the incidents around him and climbed 11 positions to collect a valuable haul of points.

That recovery further strengthened Antonelli’s position in the 2026 F1 World Championship on a day when both McLaren drivers failed to score. Norris retired in the collision involving the Alpines, while Piastri’s promising race unravelled late on.

Lewis Hamilton endured a relatively isolated afternoon on his way to sixth for Ferrari. He finished ahead of Arvid Lindblad, who recovered strongly from his FP2 crash to claim seventh for Racing Bulls.

Lindblad narrowly defeated Esteban Ocon in the fight to the line, leaving the Haas driver eighth. Ollie Bearman followed in ninth, giving Haas two cars in the points and helping the team score for the first time since the Monaco Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz secured the final point in 10th for Williams. His late progress included a move ahead of Nico Hulkenberg with two laps remaining, dropping the Audi driver to 11th.

Liam Lawson finished 12th for Racing Bulls after contact with team-mate Lindblad left the New Zealander frustrated. Gabriel Bortoleto followed in 13th in the second Audi.

Piastri was classified 14th despite spending much of the Grand Prix in the podium positions. A lock-up sent the McLaren driver tumbling out of the points and transformed a potentially significant result into a costly finish near the back of the remaining field.

Sergio Perez was the 15th and final classified finisher for Cadillac, crossing the line behind Piastri at a circuit where he had previously enjoyed race-winning success.

Valtteri Bottas became the final driver to retire after putting his Cadillac into the barriers late in the race. He joined Albon, Colapinto, Norris and Gasly among the crash-related retirements.

Aston Martin also endured a complete double retirement. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both failed to reach the finish because of separate mechanical problems, bringing the total number of non-finishers to seven.

Amid the attrition, Russell delivered the decisive performance. He controlled the opening phase, managed two Safety Car restarts and withstood relentless late pressure from Verstappen to convert pole into victory.

The final margin of 0.1s captured the nature of a race that remained uncertain until the line: Russell won, Verstappen came agonisingly close to his first success of the year and Antonelli turned a disastrous qualifying result into an important championship recovery.

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix race results

The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race was held on Saturday 26th September 2026 at 3:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	51	01:38:02	25
2	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	51	+0.196s	18
3	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	51	+10.704s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	51	+14.136s	12
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	51	+14.512s	10
6	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	51	+22.382s	8
7	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	51	+31.159s	6
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	51	+31.189s	4
9	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	51	+31.929s	2
10	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	51	+32.416s	1
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	51	+33.231s	0
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	51	+34.013s	0
13	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	51	+34.230s	0
14	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	51	+36.401s	0
15	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	51	+41.400s	0
16	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	49	DNF	0
NC	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	36	DNF	0
NC	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	35	DNF	0
NC	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	35	DNF	0
NC	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	29	DNF	0
NC	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	20	DNF	0
NC	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	7	DNF	0

2026 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

2026 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Kimi Antonelli	ITA	Mercedes	302
2	George Russell	GBR	Mercedes	236
3	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Ferrari	199
4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	186
5	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	179
6	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	163
7	Oscar Piastri	AUS	McLaren	120
8	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Red Bull Racing	86
9	Liam Lawson	NZL	Racing Bulls	59
10	Pierre Gasly	FRA	Alpine	41
11	Arvid Lindblad	GBR	Racing Bulls	37
12	Franco Colapinto	ARG	Alpine	27
13	Oliver Bearman	GBR	Haas F1 Team	20
14	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Audi	10
15	Nico Hulkenberg	GER	Audi	7
16	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Haas F1 Team	7
17	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Williams	7
18	Alexander Albon	THA	Williams	5
19	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Aston Martin	3
20	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	Racing Bulls	1
21	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	0
22	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Cadillac	0
23	Sergio Perez	MEX	Cadillac	0

2026 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	538
2	Ferrari	378
3	McLaren	306
4	Red Bull Racing	263
5	Racing Bulls	83
6	Alpine	68
7	Haas F1 Team	27
8	Audi	17
9	Williams	12
10	Aston Martin	3
11	Cadillac	0

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.