Max dominates spectacular Baku qualifying to take pole: 'Difficult session'

Published on 20 September 2025 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen has claimed pole position in a chaotic and dramatic qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The session was halted several times due to red flags, with no fewer than six drivers falling victim to the treacherous streets of Baku. In the final, rain-affected part, Verstappen delivered a spectacular lap, securing his very first pole in Azerbaijan. Carlos Sainz impressed with P2, while Liam Lawson surprised with P3. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounded out the top five.

“It was a long qualifying with many red flags, so it was very difficult to get your lap together,” Max said afterwards. “Especially in Q3, with also a bit of rain around, it was a very difficult session. I was not even on the best tyres, because with all those red flags you run out of tyres. But in that final lap you just have to send it.”

Max looked back on the weekend so far with satisfaction: “In FP1 we were not so bad, and we kept improving a tiny amount. We were there in qualifying, that is where it matters. Since Monza, we are doing a better job, and I hope we can continue in that way.” Looking ahead to tomorrow he added: “It is a long race. We need to have a good start, to run our own race and look after the tyres, and then we will see what happens.”

When qualifying got underway, it was immediately busy on the Baku street circuit. Many drivers set off on softs, but Max started on mediums, just like Yuki Tsunoda, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The Dutchman set an opening time of 1:42.210, good enough for provisional second. A yellow flag was quickly followed by a red: Alexander Albon clipped the inside wall at Turn 1 and came to a stop on track. After a short break the session resumed. Kimi Antonelli will have to explain himself to the stewards for allegedly overtaking under yellow. Lewis Hamilton, who was quickest in yesterday’s second practice, went top of the timesheets.

Max dropped to fourth but could not complete his next fast lap: the second red flag of the day came out. Nico Hülkenberg overshot Turn 4 and lost part of his front wing but managed to bring his Sauber safely back to the pits. After the restart, Lando Norris went quickest on softs, with Max just nine thousandths behind on mediums. When the clock hit zero, the third red flag appeared. Initially it seemed Pierre Gasly was to blame, running straight on at Turn 4 without damage, but it turned out to be his team-mate Franco Colapinto who had crashed into the wall a few metres further on during a yellow flag, destroying his Alpine. At the end of a lengthy Q1, Alexander Albon, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto were eliminated.

Q2 was red-flagged after just a few minutes. This time Oliver Bearman was caught out by the Baku walls, brushing the barrier at Turn 2 and leaving his Haas stranded on track. Once his car was cleared, the session resumed. Verstappen opened with a 1:41.446, good for P2, just five hundredths behind Norris. Meanwhile Charles Leclerc complicated matters for himself by running straight on twice. The first time he caused a yellow flag that hindered his team-mate Hamilton’s quick lap. The Monegasque managed to recover, but Hamilton was knocked out. Max pushed again in the final moments of Q2, setting a 1:41.255 to go fastest. Out at this stage were Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman.

Q3 began with raindrops and – inevitably – another red flag. Charles Leclerc crashed at Turn 15, ending his run of four consecutive poles in Baku. Carlos Sainz briefly sat on provisional pole and may have been glancing hopefully at the sky. The rain was short-lived, and with seven minutes to go Q3 resumed. Max was on a flying lap but had to abort just before the finish due to the sixth red flag of the day. This time it was Oscar Piastri, who smashed his McLaren into the wall at Turn 3, ending his session.

During that stoppage the rain returned. When the session restarted, drivers had just 3 minutes 41 seconds to set a final lap. With the track still damp, it was tense right to the end. Improvement looked unlikely, but Max produced a purple first sector and ultimately clocked a stunning 1:41.117 – almost half a second quicker than Sainz, who took a well-earned P2. Lawson impressed with third, followed by Antonelli in fourth, and Russell completing the top five. It capped off a messy yet spectacularly thrilling qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Contest GP Azerbaijan: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Results qualifying Azerbaijan: