F1 Qualifying at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP turned into one of the wildest sessions in recent memory. Red flags, changing conditions, and late drama defined the fight for pole. When the dust settled, it was Max Verstappen who denied a fairytale Williams hope to take pole for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Q1: Semi-Controlled Chaos
Qualifying in Baku began with gusty winds still a factor. Charles Leclerc led early, but Alexander Albon’s flying lap ended in disaster when he clipped the inside wall at Turn 1, bringing out a red flag with 11:33 remaining.
Once running resumed, Lewis Hamilton went into P1 with a 1:41.821, just ahead of Oscar Piastri on a 1:41.839, before Nico Hülkenberg hit the Turn 4 barriers to trigger another stoppage. Pressure was mounting on Kimi Antonelli, who had yet to set a time. Encouraged over the radio by Toto Wolff, he delivered when it counted, putting together a 1:42.247 to jump safely into the top ten.
The final minutes brought a host of improvements. Lando Norris stormed to P1 with a 1:41.322, edging Max Verstappen by just 0.009s, with Leclerc in P3 on a 1:41.458. As the checkered flag fell, Pierre Gasly ran wide at Turn 4 and Franco Colapinto struck the exit wall of the same corner, ending the session under red. Eliminated after Q1: Colapinto, Hülkenberg, Ocon, Gasly, Albon.
Q2: Verstappen Leads, Hamilton Out
Q2 started with more drama as Oliver Bearman clipped the outside wall at Turn 3, ending his session on the spot and bringing out the red flag with 11:54 remaining. Once the track went green again, Ferrari looked unsettled. Leclerc ran wide at Turn 1, forcing Hamilton to back out under yellows.
Carlos Sainz briefly put Williams on top with a 1:41.675, but the session quickly turned into a battle among the frontrunners. Norris laid down a 1:41.396 on Mediums before Max Verstappen bettered it with a 1:41.255, also on the Medium tire. Piastri went to P3 on Softs, while both Mercedes cars looked strong with Russell climbing to P4 and Antonelli right behind him in P5.
Leclerc managed to recover under pressure with a single clean lap for P6, but Hamilton struggled for traction at Turn 16 and could do no better than 1:42.183, leaving him down in P12 and eliminated. The session ended with Verstappen leading on Mediums, ahead of Norris, Piastri, Russell, and Antonelli. Eliminated after Q2: Alonso, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Stroll, Bearman.
Q3: Verstappen Denies Williams’ Hopes
The final session began with talk of raindrops and rising tension. Lawson and Sainz traded early fastest times, with the Williams driver setting a 1:41.595. Then Leclerc crashed at Turn 15 to bring out another red flag. Not to be outdone, Championship leader Piastri at Turn 3 put his McLaren into the wall just minutes after the resumption. The McLaren suffered major damage after what Alex Brundle suggested was a cold-brakes issue.
With a record number of red flags already logged, Q3 resumed with just one flying lap left for everyone. On a drying but still damp track, Verstappen delivered when it mattered most, producing a 1:41.117 on Softs to steal pole. Sainz was forced to settle for P2, while Lawson impressed in P3 for Racing Bulls. Antonelli starred with P4, just ahead of Russell, Tsunoda, and Norris. Hadjar completed the top eight, with Piastri and Leclerc classified P9 and P10 after their crashes.
Thoughts and Looking Ahead
Saturday qualifying at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP was chaos from start to finish, and the record-setting number of red flags showed just how treacherous the track and conditions were. Verstappen ultimately proved his ability as a 4-time champion, but the surprise stories were everywhere. Lawson’s Racing Bull on the second row, Antonelli holding his nerve for P4, and Sainz giving Williams hope after Albon’s costly crash.
With unpredictable weather, a slippery street circuit, and a shuffled grid, Sunday’s race promises more drama. If qualifying was anything to go by, the 2025 Azerbaijan GP could be one of the most unpredictable races of the season.
Feature Image Credit: EverythingF1
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