Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Max Verstappen claimed pole in a chaotic session.
In an extraordinary qualifying which featured a record total of six red flags and lasted almost two hours, Verstappen clinched a sixth pole of the season by delivering a flawless lap at the end.
Piastri, who leads McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by 31 points with eight rounds remaining, smashed into the wall in the final stages of Q3 and will start lower than fourth for the first time this season.
That opened the door to Norris but he too clipped the wall on his final run, which was only good enough to put him seventh on the grid – two places above his team-mate. Williams’ Carlos Sainz capitalised on the chaos to qualify second, ahead of Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli.
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F1 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The Azerbaijan GP starts at midday (BST) on Sunday
- Max Verstappen on pole; Sainz 2nd; Lawson 3rd
- Click HERE for the full starting grid
- Oscar Piastri has a 31-point lead in the world championship
- McLaren could seal the constructors' championship today
What time is the Azerbaijan GP?
Saturday 20 September 2025 17:02
,
Kieran Jackson
The race in Baku starts at midday (BST) on Sunday.
What record is set to be broken?
11:12
,
Mike Jones
If McLaren seal the constructors’ crown this weekend, they would win the teams’ title with seven races remaining – a feat unmatched in F1 history.
In Red Bull’s record-setting run in 2023, when they won every race bar one, Red Bull sealed the title with six races remaining.
Another potential record to take from Red Bull would be their total points tally. Courtesy of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s combined 20 victories in 2023, Red Bull finished on 860. McLaren are currently on 617 and so on track to beat that total.
It’s an inevitability that the constructors’ trophy will stay at McLaren HQ in Woking, but there will be an extra cherry on the cake if McLaren can seal the deal on the streets of Baku.
Carlos Sainz, who starts second on the grid:
11:05
,
Kieran Jackson
“We did a good job from the learnings in Monza, this weekend we’ve been much better. Everyone was struggling yesterday with tyres, it levelled the playing run because others were having this randomness.”
On the race: “When I put my helmet on and I go racing, it doesn’t matter who’s in front of me - you always look forward, the car in front. The first few laps... then the reality will check in and you’ll realise the pace of the car which probably isn’t quick enough to hold off Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari. But we’ll see about the rest.”
F1 constructor standings heading into today's race:
11:00
,
Mike Jones
1. McLaren - 617 points
2. Ferrari - 280 points
3. Mercedes - 260 points
4. Red Bull - 239 points
5. Williams - 86 points
6. Aston Martin - 62 points
7. Racing Bulls - 61 points
8. Sauber - 55 points
9. Haas - 44 points
10. Alpine - 20 points
Lando Norris wants to be seen as a ‘good guy’ despite tension of title battle
10:55
,
Kieran Jackson
“Certainly I would say I don’t like to be disliked. I want to come across as a good guy and a nice guy.
“You’re never going to be liked by everyone, so I think I’ve come more to terms with that fact.
“Yeah, certainly, I always want to give a good impression, that’s something that I care about.”
F1 drivers parade
10:51
,
Kieran Jackson
All 20 drivers are out on the Baku circuit as they are paraded in front of the fans in the grandstands!
How can McLaren win the F1 constructors’ championship in Azerbaijan?
10:40
,
Kieran Jackson
McLaren have enjoyed a dominant Formula One season and could break a record if they seal the F1 constructors’ title this weekend.
Zak Brown’s team, spearheaded by drivers’ title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, have won 12 of the 16 races so far this season, including five of the last six.
McLaren’s lead, with a third of the 2025 season remaining, is a mammoth 337 points over second-placed Ferrari, with a total of 617 compared to 280 for the Scuderia.
The driver standings heading into today's race:
10:30
,
Mike Jones
Piastri has a 31-point lead over Norris:
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 194 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 163 points
7. Alex Albon (Williams) – 70 points
8. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 66 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 38 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points
11. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 30 points
13. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 28 points
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 20 points
15. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 20 points
16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 18 points
17. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 16 points
18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 16 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
Oscar Piastri reveals ‘good discussions’ after McLaren’s controversial Monza call
10:22
,
Mike Jones
Oscar Piastri says McLaren have clarified their decision to order him aside for Lando Norris and the title rivals agree that the controversial call would be made again.
A slow pit-stop for Norris a fortnight ago at Monza saw him drop from second to third behind team-mate Piastri before McLaren told their drivers to swap positions.
“Naturally there have been thoughts, we have had good discussions with the team. We have clarified a lot of things, we know how we will go racing going forwards,” Piastri said ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton would 'love' to earn F1 podium this season
10:12
,
Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton was slightly pessimistic about his chances of winning a race with Ferrari this season and has his sights set on podium finishes instead.
The seven-time world champion explained: "A win is a bit far-fetched, considering I've been sixth, seventh and eighth for most of the season.
"I would love to get a podium for the team at some stage, Charles has had five of them.
"I feel optimistic coming into the weekend. I feel like I've found a couple of things and now I need to work on extracting them. So, I really hope that this weekend can be the start of that."
Oscar Piastri’s instinct was right – have McLaren’s F1 team orders gone too far?
09:59
,
Kieran Jackson
Another race, another twist in this fascinating intra-team title battle for the F1 world championship between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Only this time, amid a disorderly few minutes for McLaren in the Monza pit-lane, the yardstick has shifted somewhat.
The finale to Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen coasted to victory in a Red Bull car unexpectedly superior to this year’s runaway leaders, took a surprising turn with a few laps to go. Piastri and Norris were holding out for a late safety car, having not pitted at all in the 53-lap race. With no incident forthcoming, third-placed Piastri pitted first; second-placed Norris followed a lap later.
How can McLaren win the F1 constructors’ championship in Azerbaijan?
09:55
,
Kieran Jackson
Following round 17 this weekend in Azerbaijan, there will be just 346 points left to play for in the seven subsequent races and three sprint races. McLaren’s lead currently stands at 337 points.
Therefore, McLaren will seal the title this weekend if they have a lead of 346 points over the second-placed team in the standings by Sunday night.
As such, McLaren will win the constructors’ championship if Piastri and Norris’ combined total:
- Outscores Ferrari by nine points or more
- Not outscored by Mercedes by 12 points or more
- Not outscored by Red Bull by 33 points or more
A McLaren one-two finish, therefore, would guarantee the title, as would second and third place if Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton did not win the race.
One McLaren driver finishing first and the other finishing third would also seal the title, regardless of other finishing positions.
F1 starting grid in Baku:
09:00
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Liam Lawson
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. George Russell
6. Yuki Tsunoda
7. Lando Norris
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Oscar Piastri
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Fernando Alonso
12. Lewis Hamilton
13. Gabriel Bortoleto
14. Lance Stroll
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Franco Colapinto
17. Nico Hulkenberg
18. Esteban Ocon
19. Pierre Gasly
20. Alex Albon
Kimi Antonelli who qualified P5:
08:00
,
Kieran Jackson
“That was a very difficult qualifying session for everyone out there! We had really windy conditions but also rain which made the white lines around the circuit in particular feel like ice.
“Judging how much to push and when was a real challenge and that wasn't helped by all the red flag interruptions. You usually want to get into a rhythm for qualifying but that wasn't possible today. For my last run, we opted to take the Medium tyre.
“I couldn't quite get the required temperature into it as the track was still cold and slippery. I also lost a few tenths with a gust of wind into the final corner. Without those, I think we could have been on the front-row. That is a shame, but we still have a decent starting position for tomorrow. Hopefully we can look forward and be in the battle for the top three.”
Max Verstappen implored to join Ferrari
07:00
,
Kieran Jackson
Eddie Irvine has implored Max Verstappen to join Ferrari, insisting the Dutchman should not “leave it too late like Lewis Hamilton did.”
“Back in my day, you had Michael [Schumacher] come, he was seen as by far the fastest driver,” Irvine told Sky Sports F1. “Because of that, Rory Byrne came, Ross [Brawn] came, and that whole team was built around the fact that Michael was another world.
“A bit like Verstappen is now, where if Verstappen went somewhere, he could take a lot of people. Without the whole system together, everyone’s, you know, at the same level. It’s tough, Formula 1’s tough.
“Michael gave up a lot, like Michael probably gave up two, three, maybe even more world championships to leave Benetton to go [to Ferrari]. Because the first few years, people have no idea how bad it was at Ferrari.
“Michael, he knew there was no point for him. He was so much better than everyone else. He just decided, ‘I’m going to go there. I’m going to see what I can do,’ which was amazing.
“And he got there. But people forget, it took four years. He was always in the vicinity, but it was just that you could see he was driving the wheels off the thing to try and be there. So, it was very easy for it not to happen.
“I would love Verstappen to come to Ferrari. I think the two of them together would be sensational. I hope he doesn’t leave it too late like Lewis did.”
Lewis Hamilton reveals why he sold all his cars
06:00
,
Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One’s most decorated driver with seven world championships and 105 race victories, has revealed he has sold on his extensive car collection, stating he is now "more into art".
Speaking to reporters on Thursday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 40-year-old confirmed he no longer owns the multi-million-pound assortment of limited edition Ferraris, Mercedes, and McLarens.
Audi CEO was sceptical about German giant entering Formula 1 – but this is why he’s now all in
05:00
,
Kieran Jackson
Gernot Dollner, who became Audi CEO in September 2023, wasn’t the man who made the decision in 2022 to join F1. In fact, he wasn’t in favour of the move, as he admits in an exclusive interview with The Independent.
“Yeah, you are right. In my role as head of strategy of Volkswagen Group, I was quite sceptical regarding looking at Formula One,” said Dollner.
Why Williams star Alex Albon is F1’s most underrated driver in 2025
04:00
,
Kieran Jackson
Two-thirds of the way through the 2025 season and, beyond the race for the drivers’ championship, the midfield battle continues apace as we leave the European season behind.
Next, the streets of Baku and a glance at the top 10 on the leaderboard highlights one star performer, exceeding expectations and then some.
Meet Alex Dunne, the 19-year-old eyeing Ireland’s first F1 seat in 23 years
03:00
,
Kieran Jackson
“Excuse me?” I ask, slightly perplexed at the informality of the scene ahead. “I’ve got an interview with Alex...”
At the far end of the Rodin Motorsport truck, which houses a few tables, a dozen personnel poring over data on laptops and a built-in racing simulator, an Irish teenager pops his head out, next to the makeshift cockpit.
“Hi… yep let’s do it.” And so, Alex Dunne leads me into a brightly lit meeting room opposite and closes the doors.
British Grand Prix handed massive boost for 2026 F1 event at Silverstone
02:00
,
Kieran Jackson
F1 fans have been handed a bonus ahead of this week’s ticket sale for the 2026 British Grand Prix with the news that Silverstone will host a sprint race for the first time in five years.
The iconic circuit in Northamptonshire hosted the first-ever F1 sprint race back in 2021, won by Max Verstappen, but has not hosted the shortened format – which results in four competitive sessions across the weekend and just one hour of practice – in the years that have followed.
Hamilton 'does not think' Ferrari have the pace to be competitive
01:00
,
Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton admits he “does not think” Ferrari have the pace to compete for a podium in the remaining eight races of the season.
The 40-year-old is still without a top-three finish after 16 rounds this season with his best result in a grand prix being fourth, alongside a sprint race victory in China back in March.
“I don't think so, Charles [Leclerc, finished fourth] was giving it everything, Max is up there now,” Hamilton said when asked if Ferrari cane compete after the grand prix at Monza.
“We don't have the pace of Red Bull, they were rapid, or McLaren, and currently we're fourth.
“A podium here or there? There's a chance to have that at some point. But in terms of pure pace, we don't have that.”
Max Verstappen eyes prestigious race outside of F1 after Nurburgring debut
Saturday 20 September 2025 23:59
,
Mike Jones
Max Verstappen has raised the prospect of competing at next year’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring event after obtaining the required licence to race at the famous German track.
The four-time F1 world champion, who has expanded his sim-racing team this year with an eye on competing in GT3 endurance racing, completed a convoluted process over the weekend to obtain the DMSB Nordschleife A permit.
Piastri on winning the constructors' championship this year
Saturday 20 September 2025 23:00
,
Mike Jones
It is only a matter of time before McLaren are crowned with the constructors title for 2025.
They have been the dominant team in F1 this year and, depending on the results of this weekend’s grand prix, could be defend their constructors title in Baku.
“Last season went down to the final race, this year the car has been a step better, the team has been performing very well,” Oscar Piastri said.
“Much more of a sense of inevitability about this year which is an amazing position to be in.”
Lando Norris reacts to Azerbaijan GP missed opportunity: ‘I did everything I could’
Saturday 20 September 2025 22:00
,
Kieran Jackson
Asked if it was a chance missed, Norris said: “No, because I still did everything I could.”
Pushed on the fact that there was a chance to line up a distance ahead of his title rival, he added: “If I won every race, I could be world champion by now, but I didn’t.
“In the tricky conditions, I went out first and it was just the wrong decision to make in the end.
“If everyone else got a yellow flag behind because someone else went off behind me, you wouldn’t be asking me this question.
“Sometimes it goes your way around here, sometimes it doesn’t.”
George Russell, who qualified 6th:
Saturday 20 September 2025 21:00
,
Kieran Jackson
“That was a frantic qualifying session. P5 [Antonelli’s position] is perhaps not the maximum we could have achieved today but it still gives us a solid starting position for tomorrow.
“That is even more important when you see how others struggled with the difficult conditions and where they will be starting for the Grand Prix. It wasn't just the wind or the rain that came and went several times that made it challenging.
“We also had to evaluate the Medium tyre, which we only ran for the first time this weekend in Q1. It proved a useful tyre to get through the first two segments but, as the track cooled and more rain fell, we opted to take the Soft compound for our final run.
“That was probably the correct decision, but I wasn't able to maximise the lap as we ran on the early side when the track was perhaps a little more slippery. From a personal perspective, I've not felt 100 per cent this weekend either. That made today even tougher but I'm looking forward to resting up tonight, coming back stronger tomorrow and hopefully being in the fight for the podium.”
QUALIFYING REPORT: Piastri crashes out as Verstappen takes pole in chaotic Azerbaijan GP qualifying
Saturday 20 September 2025 20:00
,
Kieran Jackson
Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Max Verstappen claimed pole in a chaotic session.
In an extraordinary qualifying which featured a record total of six red flags and lasted almost two hours, Verstappen clinched a sixth pole of the season by delivering a flawless lap at the end.
Piastri, who leads McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by 31 points with eight rounds remaining, smashed into the wall in the final stages of Q3 and will start lower than fourth for the first time this season.
That opened the door to Norris but he too clipped the wall on his final run, which was only good enough to put him seventh on the grid – two places above his team-mate. Williams’ Carlos Sainz capitalised on the chaos to qualify second, ahead of Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli.
There was bitter disappointment for Lewis Hamilton as he was knocked out in Q2, qualifying only 12th having looked in contention for pole for much of the weekend.
Charles Leclerc after Q3 crash:
Saturday 20 September 2025 19:00
,
Kieran Jackson
“Lewis was much more on the pace over the weekend, I’ve been struggling massively. In qualifying, we changed a lot on the car and it was feeling better until we put on the medium tyres, it was very difficult.
On race: “There’s opportunity. It’ll be tough to come back to the front, will hopefully try and have a good Sunday after a disappointing Saturday.”
FULL STARTING GRID IN BAKU:
Saturday 20 September 2025 18:00
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Liam Lawson
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. George Russell
6. Yuki Tsunoda
7. Lando Norris
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Oscar Piastri
10. Charles Leclerc
11. Fernando Alonso
12. Lewis Hamilton
13. Gabriel Bortoleto
14. Lance Stroll
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Franco Colapinto
17. Nico Hulkenberg
18. Esteban Ocon
19. Pierre Gasly
20. Alex Albon
Lando Norris, who qualified P7:
Saturday 20 September 2025 17:00
,
Kieran Jackson
Is it an opportunity missed? “No.”
“Two-tenths, a couple of positions, but not 1.1 seconds. It was a mistake to go out when we did. It was still spitting a little bit and anyone further back, more grip. A decision which didn’t work out.
“Just didn’t have the grip on the final run, I wanted more, hurts a bit. Made a mistake, the lap wasn’t as good as it needed to be, the grip just wasn’t there.
“I would have liked a better result in this type of scenario. We just made the wrong decision, we’ll punch ourselves about it now, but it could easily have gone our way. You win some, you lose some. Long race tomorrow.
On the race: “I think Red Bull are too quick. In these conditions, the Red Bull were performing well. We’re quick when things are working nicely, we’ll see.”
Lewis Hamilton, after being knocked out in Q2 in P12:
Saturday 20 September 2025 16:30
,
Kieran Jackson
“Honestly, I’m so disappointed. Yesterday the car felt good, today we went in a direction we ended up going, on paper it seemed the best way to go. It was just that we didn’t have the right tyre at the end, it’s tough. Everyone ahead of me had a medium tyre. That put me on the back foot.
“Not great but we’ll take it internal, there’s been lots of positives from this weekend. I honestly thought I’d be shooting for pole today, so it’s a bit of a shock - I’ll take it on the chin and keep trying.”
Max Verstappen after clinching pole in Baku:
Saturday 20 September 2025 15:37
,
Kieran Jackson
“It was very difficult to get your lap together. It was a very difficult session, final lap you just have to send it. I’m very happy with how the weekend went so far.”
On race: “A long race, we just need to do our own race, look after our tyres.”
Carlos Sainz after qualifying P2:
Saturday 20 September 2025 15:23
,
Kieran Jackson
“Very happy, we nailed qualifying today. The moment a top car put a lap together we’d be behind - it was Max, no surprise! But P2 - great news!
“I’m delivering in qualifying when it counts. The good races are around the corner.”
“Plan for tomorrow? Try to stick it on the podium!
Liam Lawson, who qualified third:
Saturday 20 September 2025 15:13
,
Kieran Jackson
“I can’t even remember what happened, it was very busy! The car has been good all weekend, massive thanks to the guys and girls - but tomorrow is the important day.
“It’a always sketchy, you feel the rain coming on your visor, you’re fighting your brain not to back off.
“It’ll be a very hard race, great starting position.”
TOP-10 IN BAKU QUALIFYING
Saturday 20 September 2025 15:05
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Liam Lawson
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. George Russell
6. Yuki Tsunoda
7. Lando Norris
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Oscar Piastri
10. Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen on pole position!
Saturday 20 September 2025 14:59
,
Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen gets P1 by four-tenths!
But LandoNorris screwed up, hitting the wall at turn 15, and is only P7! What a missed opportunity...
Carlos Sainz takes second, with Liam Lawson in third!
4-10: Antonelli, Russell, Tsunoda, Norris, Hadjar, Piastri, Leclerc
Q3 back underway!
Saturday 20 September 2025 14:55
,
Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris is the first car out on track... here we go then with this astonishingly long qualifying session!