On Saturday, September 26, the main race of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix — the 15th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season — will take place on Baku’s street circuit. This time, the event is being held on an unusual schedule due to the country’s Memorial Day. Following qualifying, Mercedes driver George Russell will start from pole position, ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren), while third-practice winner Max Verstappen will start the race only eighth, reports UNN.
F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: race weekend schedule
From September 24 to 26, the 15th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season — the Azerbaijan Grand Prix — will take place on the city streets of Baku, opening the first triple-header of the championship.
This time, the race weekend will follow an unusual schedule. Because of Azerbaijan’s Memorial Day, observed on September 27, the main race will take place on Saturday rather than Sunday. Free practice was held on Thursday, while the third practice session and qualifying took place on Friday.
After two consecutive victories in Monza and Madrid, Andrea Kimi Antonelli remains the leader of the drivers’ standings. The Mercedes driver has extended his lead over his teammate George Russell to 81 points. Mercedes also leads the constructors’ championship comfortably — after 14 rounds, the team has 503 points. Ferrari is second with 358 points, while McLaren is third with 306.
Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: qualifying
Today, September 25, the third practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix took place as part of the 2026 Formula 1 season’s latest round.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the session, Mercedes driver George Russell finished second, and Ferrari representative Lewis Hamilton completed the top three.
The Dutchman finished one-tenth ahead of Russell and Lewis Hamilton, setting a time of 1 min 43.922 sec on the streets of Baku during the final hour of practice, as drivers pushed the limits ahead of qualifying, which will take place later on Friday.
As throughout the season, the teams and drivers were reluctant to head out at the start of the third session, as the track surface in Baku was visibly covered with dust and leaves because of strong winds.
Only after 20 minutes did the leading contenders appear on Pirelli soft tires. Hamilton set a time of 1 min 46.168 sec., before being overtaken by Charles Leclerc with a time of 1 min 45.564 sec.
Kimi Antonelli and Russell took third and fourth places after completing their first fastest laps, but both Mercedes drivers began the final practice session on medium-compound tires.
Later, Mercedes driver George Russell finished first in the qualifying session for the 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying results (top 10);
- George Russell
(Mercedes) – 1:42.526;
- Charles Leclerc
(Ferrari) – +0.837;
- Oscar Piastri
(McLaren) – +0.838;
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
– +0.974;
- Lando Norris
(McLaren) – +1.146;
- Lewis Hamilton
(Ferrari) – +1.332;
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) –
+1.521;
- Max Verstappen (Red
Bull) – +1.555;
- Carlos Sainz Jr.
(Williams) – +2.040;
- Franco Colapinto
(Alpine) – +15.204.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix race: the circuit and features of the Baku round
The Baku circuit — the venue for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, which has already established itself as a successful event — is a purely street circuit that offers a highly entertaining spectacle every year.
The circuit, designed by the famous architect of Formula 1 tracks, is more than six kilometers long, making it one of the longest on the world championship calendar. It has 20 corners, while its width varies from 13 meters at its widest point to just 7.6 meters where it passes through the city’s historic center. The race distance is 51 laps (306.049 km).
The Baku street circuit consists of long straights, narrow sections and sharp corners, making it one of the most challenging tracks on the Formula 1 calendar.
The circuit has a unique layout that includes a narrow uphill section, a narrow castle section and a long flat stretch along the waterfront.
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