Summary

Max Verstappen takes Azerbaijan GP pole
Seven crashes in chaotic qualifying
Sainz to start second, Lawson third
Norris seventh and Piastri ninth
Piastri and Leclerc crash in Q3, Hamilton knocked out in Q2
Select 'listen live' at top of page for Sports Extra commentary (UK only)
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Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna and Alicia Turner

Norris or Piastri for pole?published at 12:52 BST

Image source, Getty Images
If the pole fight does come down to the two McLaren drivers, which one will it be?
Oscar Piastri, championship leader by 31 points, was last on pole at Zandvoort at the Dutch Grand Prix and has five in total this season. Lando Norris, meawhile, has claimed four poles in 2025 but his last one came just before the summer break at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Both drivers have had brushes with the walls this weekend; Norris' tap at Turn Four at the start of his qualifying simulation run in second practice yesterday broke his left rear suspension. So what type of Saturday performance will we see from the two title contenders?
Hit the left thumb if you think Norris will be on pole, or click the right thumb if you're going for Piastri this afternoon.
Leclerc aiming for fifth consecutive Baku polepublished at 12:49 BST

Image source, Getty Images
If you were to put money on anyone to take pole position this afternoon, it would be Charles Leclerc, as the Ferrari driver, thanks to his love of street tracks, has become the go-to guy for claiming the front-row spot in Baku.
Leclerc has been on pole for the past four Azerbaijan races and is looking to take a record-extending fifth consecutive today. The downside for the Monegasque man is he's never converted any of them into a grand prix victory at this circuit, with his highest position being second at last year's event.
How can McLaren win constructors' title in Baku?published at 12:46 BST

A reminder that we could see trophy celebrations on Sunday if things go the way of McLaren in Azerbaijan.
To be crowned champions for a 10th time - and with seven races still to go - McLaren need to outscore second-placed Ferrari by nine points in Baku, while not being outscored by Mercedes by 12 points or more, and Red Bull by 33 points or more.
Image source, BBC Sport
Midfield scrappublished at 12:42 BST

Image source, EPA
What about the midfield battle? Alex Albon has so far looked on the pace and he put his Williams seventh on the timesheets in FP3 - the highest of the midfield cars. His last appearance in Q3 was at the Belgian Grand Prix in July, so he's overdue a spot in the top-10 shootout.
Brit Oliver Bearman is now the owner of 10 penalty points on his licence - two away from a race ban - following his collision with Carlos Sainz at the Italian Grand Prix, so he needs to keep things clean for the next four races until some ofthose points expire. Third practice was incident-free for the Haas rookie and he placed eighth on the board.
Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, meanwhile, was ninth fastest and saved a spectacular 360-degree spin at Turn 16 - a corner that seemed to be the Achilles heel for most drivers during the earlier session.
Close call for polepublished at 12:37 BST

Image source, Getty Images
The McLarens were in the top three in final practice but this could be a close call for pole position this weekend, as the wind in Azerbaijan certainly threw a few drivers off their stride.
Lewis Hamilton was quickest during second practice on Friday and he beat his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc again today as he finished fourth on the timehseets. Leclerc was on the team radio asking about a puncture and the suspension and eventually had to settle for 10th place.
Can Mercedes muscle in on the front row today? George Russell has been unwell this week but he sounded a bit brighter on the radio and put his car sixth, one place lower than rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Following boss Toto Wolff's comments his performance at Monza was "underwhelming", the Italian will be hoping for a positive qualifying in Baku.
Norris quickest in FP3published at 12:33 BST

Image source, Getty Images
With the drivers' championship tight at the top between the two McLarens, grabbing the coveted pole position today will be crucial. Lando Norris seems slightly more at ease around the Baku streets than his team-mate - and title leader - Oscar Paistri, and the Briton topped the final hour of practice with a time of 1:41.223 from the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, with Piastri ending his running in third.
Azerbaijan: Qualifyingpublished at 12:30 BST
Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images
Hello, folks. The wind could be the unwanted star of the show in qualifying if third practice was anything to go by. The blustery conditions around the old and the new of Baku will have given drivers plenty to think about during the short break.
Q1 gets under way at 13:00 BST.
What colour tyre will propel a driver to the top-10 shootout? Will teams be betting on red or yellow?
Report: Norris sets pace in final practicepublished at 10:45 BST
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Reuters
Lando Norris set the pace in final practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen splitting the McLaren driver from team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Norris was 0.222 seconds quicker than Verstappen, while Piastri was a further 0.032secs adrift and not looking as comfortable with his car on the Baku street track.
Lewis Hamilton, quickest at the end of Friday’s running, was again the faster of the Ferrari drivers in fourth place.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has scored pole in Baku for the past four years, was down in 10th, not completing a lap on his final set of soft tyres.
Kimi Antonelli headed George Russell as the Mercedes drivers took fifth and sixth, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Haas driver Oliver Bearman.
The teams continued to use their soft tyres across the final session, as they appear to be saving the medium compound tyres for use in qualifying.
The soft this weekend is the C6, the softest of Pirelli’s tyres, and it has proved problematic at times across the three races it has appeared at previously this season.
Qualifying build-up from 12:30 BSTpublished at 10:45 BST

It's all to play for in qualifying later as the battle looks to be between the McLarens, the Ferraris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The wind played a part in that final session, and the forecast for qualifying is looking to be similar conditions with some sunshine.
Go grab some (early) lunch and join us for qualifying build-up at 12:30 BST.
Listen: Azerbaijan GP previewpublished at 10:43 BST

Media caption,
Jennie Gow, Jolyon Palmer and Andrew Benson look ahead to the Azerbaijan GP.
Have a listen to the latest episode of the Chequered Flag podcast. Jennie Gow, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and the BBC’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson look ahead to this weekend's race.
They discuss the continued title fight between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at McLaren and whether Red Bull and Max Verstappen can continue their positive form off the back of Monza.
Fan Q&Apublished at 10:41 BST

The fan Q&A is open so if you have any questions you'd like to ask BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson pop them through on the link here.
Postpublished at 10:39 BST
Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

You can never write McLaren out [for qualifying]; they've been the tem to beat this year but it's anyone's game. Ferrari are looking strong, Max Verstapen in the Red Bull is looking strong, Lewis Hamilton, actually, has been showing some performance this weekend: Azerbaijan is a good track for him.
If I was a betting woman, I don't know who I would put my money on.
FP3 - and the restpublished at 10:37 BST

Image source, BBC Sport
FP3 - top 10published at 10:35 BST

Image source, BBC Sport
Chequered flagpublished at 10:33 BST

McLaren's Lando Norris stays top of the times on the soft tyre setting a time of 1:41.223.
His team-mate Oscar Piastri improved his lap time but was only able to go third fastest.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen splits the two, 0.222 seconds behind Norris.
Postpublished at 10:29 BST

The session started off slow but it's been non-stop since with drivers getting in their last runs before qualifying later.
Lewis Hamilton goes third-fastest in his Ferrari and is 0.276 seconds behind leader Lando Norris.
Better weekend for Antonellipublished at 10:28 BST
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images
Worth mentioning that Kimi Antonelli is having a much better weekend. He had a bit of a public telling off from [Mercedes boss] Toto Wolff after Monza, who described his weekend as underwhelming, using that word four times in one answer, which didn't leave anyone under any illusions as to how he felt about it.
But here is he, towards the end of FP3, he's not had any incidents this weekend so far, he hasn't crashed, like he had in the last two weekends in the Netherlands and Italy and he's just ahead of his team-mate George Russell.
Postpublished at 10:27 BST

McLaren's Oscar Piastri felt his FP2 was "a bit up and down," but we know that he likes to build himself into the weekend.
The championship leader goes third-fastest, 0.315 seconds from his team-mate Lando Norris who still holds the top spot.
Every driver is now pushing for more laps with less than five minutes to go.
Postpublished at 10:25 BST

Fingers crossed the session stays clean, but there have been a handful of drivers going off into the run-off areas.
Alex Albon is the latest driver to do so at Turn Four, but he's now joined the track again and tells his race engineer that "the wind is picking up".
Postpublished at 10:22 BST

It looks like the soft tyres are the favourite in this final session with the track really ramping up.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are on a new set of tyres.

2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

3rd Practice

Baku City Circuit, 20 September 2025, 09:30

Rank	Driver	Number	Fastest Lap	Laps
1	Lando Norris McLaren	4	1:41.223	19
2	Max Verstappen Red Bull	1	1:41.445	19
3	Oscar Piastri McLaren	81	1:41.477	21
4	Lewis Hamilton Ferrari	44	1:41.499	18
5	Kimi Antonelli Mercedes	12	1:41.876	17
6	George Russell Mercedes	63	1:41.964	17
7	Alexander Albon Williams	23	1:41.983	19
8	Oliver Bearman Haas	87	1:41.985	23
9	Liam Lawson RB	30	1:42.146	21
10	Charles Leclerc Ferrari	16	1:42.209	19
11	Isack Hadjar RB	6	1:42.267	22
12	Nico Hulkenberg Sauber	27	1:42.428	17
13	Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams	55	1:42.486	17
14	Fernando Alonso Aston Martin	14	1:42.591	17
15	Franco Colapinto Alpine	43	1:42.789	19
16	Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull	22	1:42.840	18
17	Esteban Ocon Haas	31	1:42.868	20
18	Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber	5	1:43.060	16
19	Pierre Gasly Alpine	10	1:43.322	21
20	Lance Stroll Aston Martin	18	1:43.350	17

Last updated 20th September 2025 at 10:38

Second Practice

Baku City Circuit, 19 September 2025, 13:00

Rank	Driver	Number	Fastest Lap	Laps
1	Lewis Hamilton Ferrari	44	1:41.293	21
2	Charles Leclerc Ferrari	16	1:41.367	23
3	George Russell Mercedes	63	1:41.770	19
4	Kimi Antonelli Mercedes	12	1:41.779	22
5	Oliver Bearman Haas	87	1:41.891	23
6	Max Verstappen Red Bull	1	1:41.902	22
7	Liam Lawson RB	30	1:41.989	22
8	Esteban Ocon Haas	31	1:42.167	23
9	Alexander Albon Williams	23	1:42.177	24
10	Lando Norris McLaren	4	1:42.199	7
11	Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams	55	1:42.255	24
12	Oscar Piastri McLaren	81	1:42.295	23
13	Isack Hadjar RB	6	1:42.443	23
14	Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull	22	1:42.444	22
15	Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber	5	1:42.561	22
16	Pierre Gasly Alpine	10	1:42.674	22
17	Lance Stroll Aston Martin	18	1:42.771	24
18	Nico Hulkenberg Sauber	27	1:42.820	22
19	Fernando Alonso Aston Martin	14	1:42.967	24
20	Franco Colapinto Alpine	43	1:43.322	22

Last updated 19th September 2025 at 14:08

First Practice

Baku City Circuit, 19 September 2025, 09:30

Rank	Driver	Number	Fastest Lap	Laps
1	Lando Norris McLaren	4	1:42.704	19
2	Oscar Piastri McLaren	81	1:43.014	14
3	Charles Leclerc Ferrari	16	1:43.256	17
4	George Russell Mercedes	63	1:43.257	16
5	Alexander Albon Williams	23	1:43.563	17
6	Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull	22	1:43.738	16
7	Max Verstappen Red Bull	1	1:43.790	15
8	Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams	55	1:43.859	17
9	Liam Lawson RB	30	1:43.903	17
10	Isack Hadjar RB	6	1:43.975	17
11	Kimi Antonelli Mercedes	12	1:43.985	17
12	Nico Hulkenberg Sauber	27	1:43.986	18
13	Lewis Hamilton Ferrari	44	1:44.087	14
14	Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber	5	1:44.087	18
15	Fernando Alonso Aston Martin	14	1:44.139	15
16	Oliver Bearman Haas	87	1:44.151	17
17	Lance Stroll Aston Martin	18	1:44.329	15
18	Esteban Ocon Haas	31	1:44.439	15
19	Franco Colapinto Alpine	43	1:45.299	14
20	Pierre Gasly Alpine	10	1:45.418	17

Last updated 19th September 2025 at 10:38

Qualification

Baku City Circuit, 20 September 2025, 13:00

= Fastest lap

Rank	Driver	Number	Qualifying 1	Qualifying 1	Qualifying 2	Qualifying 2	Qualifying 3	Qualifying 3	Time
1	Max Verstappen Red Bull	1	1:41.331	1:41.331	fastest lap 1:41.255	fastest lap 1:41.255	fastest lap 1:41.117	fastest lap 1:41.117	Qualifying 3, fastest lap 1:41.117
2	Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams	55	1:42.635	1:42.635	1:41.675	1:41.675	1:41.595	1:41.595	Qualifying 3, 1:41.595
3	Liam Lawson RB	30	1:42.257	1:42.257	1:41.537	1:41.537	1:41.707	1:41.707	Qualifying 3, 1:41.707
4	Kimi Antonelli Mercedes	12	1:42.247	1:42.247	1:41.464	1:41.464	1:41.717	1:41.717	Qualifying 3, 1:41.717
5	George Russell Mercedes	63	1:41.646	1:41.646	1:41.455	1:41.455	1:42.070	1:42.070	Qualifying 3, 1:42.070
6	Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull	22	1:42.347	1:42.347	1:41.788	1:41.788	1:42.143	1:42.143	Qualifying 3, 1:42.143
7	Lando Norris McLaren	4	fastest lap 1:41.322	fastest lap 1:41.322	1:41.396	1:41.396	1:42.239	1:42.239	Qualifying 3, 1:42.239
8	Isack Hadjar RB	6	1:41.656	1:41.656	1:41.647	1:41.647	1:42.372	1:42.372	Qualifying 3, 1:42.372
9	Oscar Piastri McLaren	81	1:41.839	1:41.839	1:41.414	1:41.414	not available	not available	Qualifying 2, 1:41.414
10	Charles Leclerc Ferrari	16	1:41.458	1:41.458	1:41.519	1:41.519	not available	not available	Qualifying 2, 1:41.519
11	Fernando Alonso Aston Martin	14	1:42.211	1:42.211	1:41.857	1:41.857	not available	not available	Qualifying 2, 1:41.857
12	Lewis Hamilton Ferrari	44	1:41.821	1:41.821	1:42.183	1:42.183	not available	not available	Qualifying 2, 1:42.183
13	Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber	5	1:42.511	1:42.511	1:42.277	1:42.277	not available	not available	Qualifying 2, 1:42.277
14	Lance Stroll Aston Martin	18	1:42.101	1:42.101	1:43.061	1:43.061	not available	not available	Qualifying 2, 1:43.061
15	Oliver Bearman Haas	87	1:42.666	1:42.666	not available	not available	not available	not available	Qualifying 1, 1:42.666
16	Franco Colapinto Alpine	43	1:42.779	1:42.779	not available	not available	not available	not available	Qualifying 1, 1:42.779
17	Nico Hulkenberg Sauber	27	1:42.916	1:42.916	not available	not available	not available	not available	Qualifying 1, 1:42.916
18	Esteban Ocon Haas	31	1:43.004	1:43.004	not available	not available	not available	not available	Qualifying 1, 1:43.004
19	Pierre Gasly Alpine	10	1:43.139	1:43.139	not available	not available	not available	not available	Qualifying 1, 1:43.139
20	Alexander Albon Williams	23	1:43.778	1:43.778	not available	not available	not available	not available	Qualifying 1, 1:43.778

Last updated 20th September 2025 at 15:02

Race

Baku City Circuit, 21 September 2025, 12:00

= Fastest lap

Rank	Driver	Number	Grid	Fastest Lap	Race Time
1	Max Verstappen Red Bull	1	1	not available	no time
2	Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams	55	2	not available	no time
3	Liam Lawson RB	30	3	not available	no time
4	Kimi Antonelli Mercedes	12	4	not available	no time
5	George Russell Mercedes	63	5	not available	no time
6	Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull	22	6	not available	no time
7	Lando Norris McLaren	4	7	not available	no time
8	Isack Hadjar RB	6	8	not available	no time
9	Oscar Piastri McLaren	81	9	not available	no time
10	Charles Leclerc Ferrari	16	10	not available	no time
11	Fernando Alonso Aston Martin	14	11	not available	no time
12	Lewis Hamilton Ferrari	44	12	not available	no time
13	Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber	5	13	not available	no time
14	Lance Stroll Aston Martin	18	14	not available	no time
15	Oliver Bearman Haas	87	15	not available	no time
16	Franco Colapinto Alpine	43	16	not available	no time
17	Nico Hulkenberg Sauber	27	17	not available	no time
18	Esteban Ocon Haas	31	18	not available	no time
19	Pierre Gasly Alpine	10	19	not available	no time
20	Alexander Albon Williams	23	20	not available	no time

Last updated 20th September 2025 at 15:03

All times are UK and subject to change. BBC is not responsible for any changes.

Verstappen pips Sainz to Baku pole in chaotic qualifying - reaction

Summary

Live Reporting

Norris or Piastri for pole?published at 12:52 BST

Leclerc aiming for fifth consecutive Baku polepublished at 12:49 BST

How can McLaren win constructors' title in Baku?published at 12:46 BST

Midfield scrappublished at 12:42 BST

Close call for polepublished at 12:37 BST

Norris quickest in FP3published at 12:33 BST

Azerbaijan: Qualifyingpublished at 12:30 BST

Report: Norris sets pace in final practicepublished at 10:45 BST

Qualifying build-up from 12:30 BSTpublished at 10:45 BST

Listen: Azerbaijan GP previewpublished at 10:43 BST

Fan Q&Apublished at 10:41 BST

Postpublished at 10:39 BST

FP3 - and the restpublished at 10:37 BST

FP3 - top 10published at 10:35 BST

Chequered flagpublished at 10:33 BST

Postpublished at 10:29 BST

Better weekend for Antonellipublished at 10:28 BST

Postpublished at 10:27 BST

Postpublished at 10:25 BST

Postpublished at 10:22 BST

2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

3rd Practice

Second Practice

First Practice

Qualification

Race

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