Reigning world champion Max Verstappen delivered a late masterstroke to claim pole position for Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Verstappen edged out Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in a qualifying session littered with crashes, red flags, and even rain showers on the tricky Baku street circuit.
The Dutchman, who had never before started from the front in Baku, pipped Sainz in the dying seconds to grab pole despite conditions that constantly shifted between treacherous and unpredictable.
For much of Q3, it looked like Sainz was about to spring one of the great shocks of the season. With the session disrupted by multiple interruptions, the Spaniard was one of the few drivers to post a lap time on a dry surface.
After Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari clattered into the Turn 15 barriers and brought out yet another red flag, only Sainz, Lawson, and rookie Isack Hadjar had managed to complete their flying laps. As rain began to fall and the track worsened, their provisional grid spots appeared safe.
But fortune swung again. Repairs to the Tecpro barriers at Turn 15 created just enough delay for conditions to improve. When the session resumed, Oscar Piastri looked rapid for McLaren before crashing heavily at Turn 3 to spark another stoppage. That left just a sliver of time for one last run.
With grip still low, several drivers faltered—including Norris and George Russell—but Verstappen hooked up a lap when it mattered most, beating Sainz’s time to secure his maiden Baku pole.
Lawson Shines as Chaos Reigns
Behind the front row, rookie Liam Lawson produced arguably the performance of the day, grabbing a superb third place in his Racing Bulls. The Kiwi improved on his final attempt to line up just behind Sainz and ahead of both Mercedes drivers—Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Russell—plus Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Norris, who had a golden chance to capitalise on title rival Piastri’s accident, could only manage seventh. He lines up ahead of Hadjar and Piastri, with Leclerc—usually Baku’s qualifying specialist—down in tenth after his costly crash.
Earlier chaos had already thinned the field. Q2 was stopped immediately when Haas’s Oliver Bearman broke his suspension against the Turn 2 wall.
Leclerc twice ran off in that session before salvaging progression, but his mistake compromised Lewis Hamilton, who failed to advance and will start 12th. He joined Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Bearman on the sidelines.
Early Red Flags Set the Tone
The drama had started right from Q1. Alex Albon brought out the first red flag after damaging his Williams at Turn 1, before Nico Hulkenberg lost his Sauber’s front wing at Turn 4.
Rookie Franco Colapinto then compounded Alpine’s woes: after Pierre Gasly had gone off at the same corner, the Argentinian rookie struck the wall himself. Both Alpines were eliminated, along with Esteban Ocon, Hulkenberg, and Albon.
In a session marked by a record number of red flags in F1 qualifying – six in total, Verstappen’s cool head and impeccable timing shone brightest.
“It’s my first pole here, which feels great,” the Red Bull charger said afterwards. “It was all about being in the right place at the right time today.”
With Sainz alongside him and Lawson a surprise contender from third, Sunday’s race promises even more unpredictability on the streets of Baku.
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