Overview

• Max Verstappen secured pole with a 1:41.117 on the final run, with Carlos Sainz second and Liam Lawson third as Kimi Antonelli and George Russell locked out the second row for Mercedes.
• Qualifying stretched to nearly two hours with six red flags after incidents for Alexander Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Oliver Bearman, Charles Leclerc and championship leader Oscar Piastri, as light rain and debris reduced grip.
• McLaren’s strong practice form faded in qualifying, leaving Lando Norris seventh and Piastri ninth with no time logged following his Q3 crash.
• Lewis Hamilton topped second practice for Ferrari but was eliminated in Q2 to start 12th, while Gabriel Bortoleto reached Q2 and will line up 13th after raising concerns about Sauber’s instability in the windy street section.
• Formula 1 confirmed Baku’s place on the calendar through 2030, and McLaren retains a mathematical chance to clinch the constructors’ title this weekend with a substantial points haul.