Russell Takes Azerbaijan Pole as Leclerc and Piastri Complete Front Row
Car number 63 leads a tight qualifying session in Baku
Car number 63 secured pole position for the 2026 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix after setting a final-session time of 1:42.526 at the Baku City Circuit.
Car number 16 qualified second with a 1:43.363, while car number 81 took third at 1:43.364. The gap between the second- and third-place qualifiers was just 0.001 seconds.
Car numbers 6 and 1 completed the top five, recording final times of 1:43.500 and 1:43.672 respectively. Car number 44 was sixth, followed by car numbers 10, 3, 55 and 43.
Qualifying results
- Car 63 — 1:42.526
- Car 16 — 1:43.363
- Car 81 — 1:43.364
- Car 6 — 1:43.500
- Car 1 — 1:43.672
- Car 44 — 1:43.858
- Car 10 — 1:44.047
- Car 3 — 1:44.081
- Car 55 — 1:44.566
- Car 43 — 1:44.963
Car number 87 was the first driver outside the final qualifying segment, while car numbers 30, 23, 31 and 41 occupied the remaining places from 12th to 15th. The session's final five positions went to car numbers 12, 5, 27, 14, 11, 18 and 77, with car number 77 recording the slowest listed time of 1:48.290.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend runs from 24 to 26 September 2026, with the pole-sitter set to lead the field away at the Baku street circuit.