Starting Grid 2025 Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix
Event: Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix
Track: Baku City Circuit
Formation lap starts Sunday at: 15:00 Local | 13:00 CEST | 12:00 UK | 04:00 LA | 20:00 Tokyo
The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will start with Max Verstappen on pole position after an extraordinary qualifying session around the streets of Baku. Six red flags repeatedly interrupted Saturday's action, with several drivers caught out by the strong wind, occasional drops of rain and the circuit's unforgiving barriers.
Verstappen kept his composure through nearly two hours of disrupted qualifying and delivered a 1:41.117 on his final run to secure his first Baku pole position. Carlos Sainz produced a superb performance for Williams to join him on the front row, while Liam Lawson qualified an impressive third for Racing Bulls.
Kimi Antonelli starts fourth for Mercedes alongside Lawson on the second row, with George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda lining up fifth and sixth respectively.
McLaren endured a much more difficult qualifying than expected. Lando Norris could manage only seventh after brushing the wall on his final Q3 attempt, while championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed at Turn 3 and starts ninth. Isack Hadjar separates the McLaren drivers in eighth.
Ferrari also faces a recovery race. Charles Leclerc crashed at Turn 15 before setting a Q3 time and starts tenth, while Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 and lines up 12th behind Fernando Alonso.
F1 Starting Grid 2025 Azerbaijan GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Qualifying Time | Gap to Pole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:41.117 | — |
| 2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:41.595 | +0.478s |
| 3 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:41.707 | +0.590s |
| 4 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:41.717 | +0.600s |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:42.070 | +0.953s |
| 6 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1:42.143 | +1.026s |
| 7 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:42.239 | +1.122s |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:42.372 | +1.255s |
| 9 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | No Q3 time | — |
| 10 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | No Q3 time | — |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:41.857 | +0.740s |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:42.183 | +1.066s |
| 13 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1:42.277 | +1.160s |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:43.061 | +1.944s |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | No Q2 time | — |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:42.779 | +1.662s |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 1:42.916 | +1.799s |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:43.139 | +2.022s |
| 19 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:43.778 | +2.661s |
| 20 | 31 | *Esteban Ocon | Haas | DSQ | — |
* Esteban Ocon originally qualified 18th but was disqualified from qualifying after his Haas failed the FIA rear-wing main-plane tip deflection test. The stewards subsequently granted Ocon permission to start the race from the back of the grid.
The front of the grid therefore presents an unusual picture for Baku: Verstappen starts alongside Sainz, with Lawson and Antonelli directly behind. Norris starts seventh and Piastri ninth, while Ferrari has Leclerc tenth and Hamilton 12th.
With the long run to Turn 1 and Baku's powerful slipstream effect, the unusual qualifying order leaves several front-running cars with ground to make up when the lights go out.
✅ Don't forget to check out our 2025 Azerbaijan F1 GP preview.
One F1 fan comment on “Starting Grid 2025 Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix”
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The race victory is Max's to lose & the McLarens might struggle to get past the drivers starting between due to a relatively strong DRS train effect.