Max sets fastest time in FP3 in Baku

Published on 25 September 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen has set the fastest time in the third free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. George Russell was dominant for much of the session, but in the last couple of minutes Max managed to set the fastest time. With the track continuing to improve, the Dutchman produced an impressive second sector to move into first place. There were several brief yellow flags during the session as drivers outbraked themselves and went straight on. Russell finished second, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc complete the top five.

At the start of the third free practice session in Azerbaijan, it is partly cloudy and 25 degrees. The track temperature is 43 degrees. The track remains quiet in the opening minutes. Pierre Gasly is the first driver to head out after five minutes. He sets the first time of 1:50.582, but soon improves on it. Gradually, the other drivers also make their way onto the track. Despite several sessions already having taken place, there still appears to be quite a lot of dirt on the circuit.

After twenty minutes, Max takes to the streets of Baku on a new set of medium tyres. At that point, Charles Leclerc is fastest with a 1:45.564. Max is more than one and a half seconds slower and initially moves into third place. He soon improves to a 1:45.329, briefly moving to the top before Hamilton goes two tenths faster on the soft tyres. Baku is living up to its nickname, the ‘City of Winds’, today, as the wind picks up. Several drivers, including Max, report strong winds through Turn 16.

Halfway through the session, Kimi Antonelli takes over at the top of the timing sheets. He sets a 1:45.046 on the mediums, narrowly beating Hamilton on the softs. At that point, the top five consists of Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen and Russell. Lance Stroll clips the wall with his left-front tyre and is subsequently instructed to pull his Aston Martin over. Max runs straight on at Turn 15, but is able to continue without any problems. Over the team radio, he makes it clear that he is not happy and reports that his car is ‘bouncing like a kangaroo’. There are several more brief yellow flags later in the session, with Albon and Hamilton among those running straight on.

With twenty minutes remaining on the clock, many drivers head into the pits. Both Leclerc and Russell improve on Antonelli’s time, with Russell going more than three tenths faster than his Mercedes teammate. Then an uninvited guest appears on the streets of Baku: a branch is lying on the track. Under a brief Virtual Safety Car, a marshal quickly removes it. After a visit to the pits, Max returns to the track on soft tyres and sets a 1:45.168. Russell meanwhile lowers his fastest time further to a 1:44.021. The top six are made up of pairs from the same teams, with the two Mercedes drivers occupying the top two places, followed by the two Ferraris, Red Bulls and McLarens.

That changes as Max and several others improve their times, with the Dutchman moving into second, almost two tenths behind Russell. He then reduces the gap to a tenth, but is still unable to match the Russell’s time. Russell has a close call when he outbrakes himself and even makes contact with the wall with his front wing. He appears to escape without any damage and is able to continue. Max is meanwhile chasing the fastest time. And he gets it: he sets a 1:43.922, one tenth faster than Russell. On his very last attempt, he tries to improve his time further, but runs straight on and is unable to do so. Max therefore finishes the session fastest, ahead of Russell and Hamilton. Antonelli and Leclerc complete the top five in Baku.

Results third free practice Azerbaijan: