Russell storms to Baku pole as Sainz and Perez penalties reshape Azerbaijan grid
A qualifying lap for the ages from George Russell means it is a Mercedes on pole for the 2026 FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX in Baku. The British driver went almost a second faster in Q3 than the man who joins him on the front row, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Front-row battle set to erupt at Turn 1
The Turn 1 scrap for the race lead may well also feature McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull returnee Isack Hadjar, who line up third and fourth respectively. Hadjar's form is a major talking point of the weekend: the young Red Bull driver out-qualified team-mate Max Verstappen, eighth, by more than half a second on a circuit that rewards bravery and precision in equal measure.
Row three is a McLaren-Ferrari affair, with Lando Norris heading Lewis Hamilton, and then comes Pierre Gasly, separated from Alpine team-mate Franco Colapinto by the aforementioned Verstappen. Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Haas' Ollie Bearman complete the top 10.
The official starting grid
| Pos. | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell (Mercedes) |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri (McLaren) |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) |
| 5 | Lando Norris (McLaren) |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly (Alpine) |
| 8 | Max Verstappen (Red Bull) |
| 9 | Franco Colapinto (Alpine) |
| 10 | Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) |
Sainz pays the price for ignoring yellow flags
The top 10 had originally featured Carlos Sainz in the much-improved Williams, but the Spaniard has dropped to 14th on the grid after a five-place penalty for ignoring yellow flags during Qualifying. It is a bitter blow for the resurgent Grove squad, which had shown genuine pace through the weekend in Baku.
Perez's penalty is academic as Aston Martin pair tumble
At the rear of the order we have Cadillac's Sergio Perez, whose P20 grid slot is unaffected by a three-place penalty for impeding Piastri in Qualifying. That is thanks to the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both picking up multiple grid penalties for taking on new power unit components, leaving the Mexican anchored to the back row regardless.
Antonelli's Baku misery
And what of championship leader Kimi Antonelli? A dramatic Q1 exit after clouting his Mercedes' left-front wheel against the Turn 1 barriers means the Italian driver starts a lowly 16th, a striking turnaround for the man who arrives in Azerbaijan heading the drivers' standings.
Race day details
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts at 15:00 local time, with live coverage beginning at 14:00 in Baku.