Max Verstappen secures pole in chaotic Azerbaijan GP with six red flags in Baku

Max Verstappen showed resilience in securing the pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix of Formula 1, despite a qualifying session full of interruptions and adverse conditions on the Baku Street Circuit. The Red Bull Dutch driver posted a time of 1min41s117 on his only valid attempt in Q3, earning the front-row start for Sunday’s race.

The qualifying, held on Saturday morning, was marked by six red flags caused by driver crashes and errors on the narrow track sections. These incidents limited opportunities for many competitors, turning the grid definition into an unpredictable battle.

Verstappen, the four-time world champion, faced strong winds that affected car stability but kept his cool to overtake Carlos Sainz of Williams, who led until the final moments. The Spanish driver secured second place, his best starting position since Las Vegas in 2024.

• Key incidents that halted the session: Alexander Albon’s crash in Turn 1, Nico Hulkenberg’s collision in Turn 4, and Pierre Gasly’s error in the same sector.
• Weather conditions: intense crosswinds and late rain threat, complicating tire warm-up.
• Strategy adopted: most drivers opted for medium compounds due to low track temperatures.

Liam Lawson of RB completed the front-row podium with the third-fastest time, marking a personal milestone by starting from the third row for the first time. The New Zealander capitalized on the confusion to post a solid lap on medium tires.

Gabriel Bortoleto, the Brazilian Sauber driver, finished the session in 13th place after a discreet but consistent performance. The rookie outperformed teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who ended 17th, solidifying his adaptation to the category.

Incidents that set the session’s pace

The first red flag appeared early in Q1 when Alexander Albon lost control in Turn 1 and collided with the barriers. The stoppage lasted seven minutes, forcing teams to adjust strategies amid lost time. Albon, from Williams, saw his session compromised and was eliminated in 20th.

Five minutes after the restart, Nico Hulkenberg triggered the second halt by crashing head-on in Turn 4, a section known for demanding precise braking. Track cleanup took 16 minutes, and the German Sauber driver couldn’t regain rhythm, finishing 17th.

• Details of the early crashes: Albon suffered front suspension damage; Hulkenberg reported understeer in the car.
• Impact on Q1: only 13 drivers logged valid times before total interruptions.
• Total stopped time: about 23 minutes in the initial segment, reducing chances for improvements.

Max now has more poles (6) this season than Lando or Oscar 💪#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/wHBrcPnBdv

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 20, 2025

At the Q1 checkered flag, Pierre Gasly missed the apex in Turn 4 and went straight, followed by Franco Colapinto, who hit the wall right after. The Alpine duo caused the third red flag, eliminating both: Gasly in 19th and Colapinto in 16th. Esteban Ocon, also from Alpine, rounded out the eliminators in 18th.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari opened Q1 at the top with a clean lap but saw his time beaten by Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. George Russell and Lando Norris fought for mid-pack spots, while Verstappen, on medium tires, was just 0s009 off Norris.

Q2 started with a four-minute delay for debris removal. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman triggered the fourth red flag by crashing at the Turn 2 entry, damaging the car’s floor. The pause allowed Lando Norris to take temporary lead, followed by George Russell and Piastri.

Verstappen, opting for mediums again, dethroned the McLaren duo by 0s1 in the final minutes. Bortoleto posted the sixth initial time but dropped to 14th before gaining one spot. Hamilton aborted his last lap, confirming early elimination in 12th.

• Q2 eliminators: Bearman (15th), Hamilton (12th), Alonso (11th), Stroll (14th), and Ocon (18th, already from Q1).
• Negative highlight: Alpine with three early exits, exposing aerodynamic package weaknesses.
• Tire strategy: Piastri was the only one to advance on softs, showcasing McLaren’s versatility.

Tire strategies on a challenging track

Compound choices were crucial in Baku, where Pirelli supplied the softest range for 2025. Most drivers favored mediums (C5), which behaved like softs in the previous edition, due to track temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius.

Finding the ideal temperature window for tires proved puzzling. Softs (C6) offered little performance edge, and degradation risk on long straights like the main one deterred teams from gambling.

Verstappen and Sainz ran exclusively on mediums in Q3, prioritizing stability in winds up to 20 km/h. Lawson followed suit, securing his spot with a conservative yet effective lap.

• Medium advantages: greater durability in low-speed corners like 8 and 10.
• Soft challenges: slow warm-up in cold conditions, leading to understeer in critical entries.
• Pirelli choice: C3, C4, and C5 available, but C5 dominated 80% of timed laps.

The late Q3 rain threat added tension, with isolated drops wetting specific sectors. Teams like Mercedes and Ferrari reported inconsistent grip, forcing wing adjustments that impacted straight-line speeds.

Piastri, the only one using softs in Q2, advanced thanks to a 0s018 margin over Hamilton. In Q3, however, his Turn 3 crash cost him a front-row fight, leaving him 9th.

Bortoleto’s performance and rising rookies

Gabriel Bortoleto started Q1 in 18th but climbed to 13th on his second attempt, securing a Q2 spot. The Brazilian, in his debut season with Sauber, focused on consistency on a track that punishes minor errors.

In the intermediate segment, Bortoleto didn’t complete an ideal lap, ending 13th overall. Still, outperforming Hulkenberg reinforces his learning curve, especially in sections like the castle, where visibility is limited.

• Key moments for Bortoleto: good traction out of Turn 1; minor error in Turn 15 cost 0s2.
• Comparison to Hulkenberg: Brazilian 1s ahead, thanks to better hybrid energy management.
• Race outlook: 13th allows undercut strategy in likely safety cars.

Other rookies shone in the chaos. Isack Hadjar of RB secured 8th with an aggressive Q3 lap. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, took 4th, showing maturity in crosswinds. Oliver Bearman, despite the crash, impressed in Q1 before the incident.

Lawson, in his second full season, celebrated 3rd as a milestone. The New Zealander had never started beyond fourth row, and his Q3 pole came on a single attempt, highlighting RB’s street circuit potential.

Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, finished 6th, keeping the team strong in the top 10. The conservative strategy avoided unnecessary risks in an already volatile session.

Baku history and technical adaptations

The Baku Street Circuit joined the Formula 1 calendar in 2016 as the European Grand Prix, shifting to Azerbaijan in 2017. Its 6.003 km layout, with the category’s longest straight (2.2 km), demands aerodynamic packages balanced between speed and downforce.

Sergio Pérez holds the win record, with victories in 2021 and 2023 for Red Bull. Oscar Piastri, current championship leader with 324 points, won the 2024 edition, cementing McLaren as Baku favorites.

Teams adjusted front wings to combat winds reaching gusts of 25 km/h during qualifying. Red Bull’s RB21 excelled in stability, while Sainz’s Williams surprised with floor updates.

• Track evolution: six different configurations since 2016; Turns 7 and 8 renamed in honor of regional conflict victims.
• Baku records: fastest pole by Leclerc in 2024 (1:40.988); quickest lap by Pérez in 2021.
• 2025 adaptations: increased spray limits for rain; DRS activated in three zones, including the main straight.

Ferrari struggled with Leclerc in 10th after a Turn 15 crash damaging the nose. Hamilton, eliminated early, blamed 12th on SF-25 balance issues.

McLaren placed Norris 7th and Piastri 9th, but the duo lost chances with red flags. George Russell, Mercedes, took 5th ahead of Antonelli in 4th.

Aston Martin had Alonso 11th and Stroll 14th, with the Spaniard complaining of Q2 traffic. Haas eliminated Bearman and Ocon early, exposing VF-25 limitations.

Expectations for the Baku start

Sunday’s race, at 8 a.m. (Brasília time), promises 51 laps of intensity on the Azerbaijani layout. Verstappen starts with an edge, but safety cars are common in Baku, with a 70% rate in recent editions.

Sainz, second, eyes a podium with the updated Williams FW47. Lawson, third, targets consistent points for RB. Bortoleto, from 13th, can exploit alternative pit stops to gain positions.

• Deciding factors: tire management in safety cars; two-stop strategy planned for mediums and hards.
• Forecast weather: sun with 15 km/h winds; ambient temperature of 22 degrees.
• Championship points: Piastri leads with 324, Norris 293, Verstappen 230; McLaren could seal constructors’ title.

The qualifying session underscored Baku’s unpredictable nature, where 13 drivers survived the chaos to form the grid. Verstappen’s Red Bull enters as favorite, but rivals like Williams and RB show technical evolution.

Haas and Alpine face challenges with multiple early eliminations. Sauber, with Bortoleto ahead of Hulkenberg, advances in the battle against the back of the grid.

Mercedes lines up Russell and Antonelli in the top 5, promising internal battles. Ferrari, with Leclerc in 10th, needs to recover ground in the main race.

RB positions Hadjar 8th and Lawson 3rd, balancing strengths. Williams celebrates Sainz’s 2nd, easing financial pressures.

Formula 1 heads to Singapore next, but Baku remains a stage for historic turnarounds.