Max starts Azerbaijan GP from P8: 'Something is seriously wrong'

Published on 25 September 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from eighth on the grid. George Russell claimed a convincing pole position, with Charles Leclerc eight tenths behind in P2. Oscar Piastri placed third in his McLaren, while Isack Hadjar set the fourth-fastest time. Lando Norris completes the top five. Kimi Antonelli’s qualifying ended prematurely, while his teammate Russell kept finding more time in Q3. Max, meanwhile, struggled in the final stages and was unable to move further up the order on his final attempt.

While the Red Bull looked competitive during free practice, Max encountered engine problems in qualifying. “The engine wasn’t working properly throughout qualifying,” Max says afterwards. “We had made an adjustment to the car, but it wasn’t working. I was already half a second down on the straights compared to my teammate.” In Q3, the problem became even more apparent. “You want to push for your middle lap and suddenly I’m told that my battery isn’t full. It’s not charging, it’s not working.” As a result, Max saw a strong starting position slip away. “You do such a good job preparing all weekend, the car is working well, and then everything falls apart in qualifying and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The problems also had an impact on the tyres. Because Max was unable to push at full speed, he could not get them up to temperature sufficiently for his final attempt. “I simply didn’t have the right grip on that final lap. And then, of course, you have the same problem with the engine not working properly. And I also had a yellow flag from Lando in front of me.” According to Max, the engine braking also behaved strangely at times. “It was like pulling the handbrake in certain corners. So yeah, something is seriously wrong. It’s not good enough.” Red Bull will have to investigate over the coming hours whether the problem can still be resolved. “I don’t know if we can fix this with this engine. It’s obviously frustrating to be so competitive all weekend and then throw it all away like that.”

Qualifying in Azerbaijan starts a few minutes later than scheduled, as the track needs to be cleaned following the chaotic Formula 2 race. Temperatures have dropped slightly compared to the final free practice session, with the air at 24 degrees and the track at 40 degrees. All drivers head out on soft tyres at the start. Max begins the session with a 1:45.168. Over the team radio, he complains about the front of the car bottoming out and also reports issues under braking. A little later, he improves to a 1:44.279, putting him just two thousandths of a second behind Russell.

Qualifying is much less straightforward for teammate Kimi Antonelli. Halfway through the session, the Italian hits the wall hard with his left-front wheel. Antonelli tries to convince his team to check the car, but is told that the broken suspension cannot be repaired. It is an expensive mistake for the championship leader, who sees his qualifying come to an early end. Max, meanwhile, is doing a lot better, with both Red Bulls looking competitive as Russell and the Red Bull drivers trade places at the top. The Mercedes driver sets a 1:44.615 in the closing stages, giving him a lead of more than four tenths over Max. At the end of Q1, Stroll, Bottas, Pérez, Alonso, Hülkenberg and Bortoleto are eliminated.

The first elimination of Q2 is therefore already decided: Antonelli is unable to take part. Max opens with a 1:44.282, but Hadjar is just a little faster on his first attempt. Just as in Q1, all drivers immediately head out on new soft tyres. Max initially fails to improve his time and remains in seventh place. Hadjar, meanwhile, makes a big step forward to move into P3, two tenths behind Russell, who holds the fastest time. Max finds the necessary pace on his next attempt. With a purple second sector, he moves into second place, just two hundredths behind Russell. Max finishes Q2 in second. Lindblad, Ocon, Albon, Lawson and Bearman are eliminated. One notable name does make it through to Q3: Carlos Sainz reaches the final part of qualifying. 

Russell’s first time in Q3 is a 1:43.713. Max is more than six tenths off the pace. The McLarens immediately make their presence felt at the front, with Piastri leading the way and Norris in second. Russell then finds another chunk of pace, setting a sharp 1:43.037 to retake the top spot. And he is not done yet. The Brit goes even faster with a 1:42.526, setting purple sectors in all three sectors. He puts Leclerc as much as nine tenths behind. The Monegasque improves, but remains eight tenths off Russell. Verstappen, meanwhile, has dropped down to the lower end of the timing sheets. His final attempt is disappointing: he improves his time, but remains in P8, one and a half seconds behind pole-sitter Russell. He will therefore have to fight his way forward tomorrow. Leclerc takes P2, with Piastri in third. Hadjar moves his Red Bull up to fourth in the closing stages, while Norris completes the top five.

Results qualifying Azerbaijan: