2025 F1 Azerbaijan GP - Qualifying Results: Max Verstappen ahead of Carlos Sainz
Full results from qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Round 17 of the 2025 F1 world championship.
Max Verstappen will start Sunday's 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position:
| 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Qualifying Results | ||||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m41.331s | 1m41.255s | 1m41.117s |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m42.635s | 1m41.675s | 1m41.595s |
| 3 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m42.257s | 1m41.537s | 1m41.707s |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m42.247s | 1m41.464s | 1m41.717s |
| 5 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m41.646s | 1m41.455s | 1m42.070s |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m42.347s | 1m41.788s | 1m42.143s |
| 7 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | 1m41.322s | 1m41.396s | 1m42.239s |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m41.656s | 1m41.647s | 1m43.372s |
| 9 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | 1m41.839s | 1m41.414s | |
| 10 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m41.458s | 1m41.519s | |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m41.211s | 1m41.857s | |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m41.821s | 1m42.183s | |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m42.511s | 1m42.277s | |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m42.101s | 1m43.061s | |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m42.666s | No Time Set | |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m42.779s | ||
| 17 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m42.916s | ||
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m43.004s | ||
| 19 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m43.139s | ||
| 20 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m43.778s | ||
Max Verstappen will start the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on pole position following a chaotic qualifying session at the Baku City Circuit.
Qualifying in Baku lasted nearly two hours after six red flag stoppages.
Once Q3 got back underway, the majority of the field didn’t have a time on the board.
Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc were out of contention following crashes earlier in Q3.
Heading into the final minutes, Carlos Sainz was on provisional pole after his lap time stood from earlier in the session.
Verstappen was the only driver able to beat Sainz, beating his former teammate to pole.
Sainz starts on the front row for the first time as a Williams driver after a remarkable effort.
The shocks didn’t stop there, though.
Liam Lawson beat the two Mercedes drivers to secure third on the grid for Racing Bulls.
Kimi Antonelli out-qualified George Russell for the first time this season, securing fourth and fifth respectively.
Yuki Tsunoda was a respective sixth, ahead of Lando Norris, who brushed the barriers on his final Q3 effort.
Isack Hadjar was eighth ahead of Piastri and Leclerc, who crashed in Q3.
SIX RED FLAGS
There were three red flags in Q1 alone.
Williams’ Alex Albon caused the first stoppage, turning in too early at Turn 1, damaging his car entirely.
Nico Hulkenberg caused the second stoppage, locking up at Turn 4.
Fortunately, it wasn’t terminal damage for the German as he recovered back into the pit lane.
Franco Colapinto lost control of his Alpine at the same corner as Hulkenberg shortly after the chequered flag, causing the third red flag.
Oliver Bearman caused the fourth red flag of the day, damaging the suspension on his Haas.
The British driver will start the race on Sunday from 15th on the grid.
The action continued in Q3, with Leclerc locking up heavily at Turn 15.
Piastri then crashed out at Turn 3, leaving him ninth on the grid.
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