Verstappen takes Baku pole after record six red flags

Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a qualifying session that featured a record six red flags. The Red Bull driver will line up ahead of Carlos Sainz, with Liam Lawson third and the Mercedes pairing of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounding out the top five. Yuki Tsunoda completed the top six, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who qualified seventh and ninth respectively. Norris endured a scrappy final lap after a late shift in fortunes, while Piastri crashed in the final part of qualifying and could only recover to the back end of the front half of the grid.

The session unfolded with relentless incidents that saw the first red flags early as Williams’ Alex Albon struck the inside apex at Turn One, prompting the opening stoppage. Nico Hülkenberg then crashed at Turn Four, triggering another pause, and Alpine teammates Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto both made mistakes at the same corner after the restart, causing further trouble. Oliver Bearman added to the chaos when he hit the wall on the exit of Turn Two in the second session. The red flags contributed to a session that lasted about two hours and tied a record for the most stoppages in a single qualifying session.

Leclerc’s crash at Turn 15 late in the second segment underscored the volatility, and Piastri was also forced to the restarts after hitting the wall on the exit of Turn Three during the late actions. The safety car periods and intermittent rain contributed to a testing night for teams trying to extract the last tenths from their qualifying laps. Leclerc, who had been pole in Baku for the past four years, slid straight into the tyre barrier at Turn 15, while Piastri did the same on the restart, delaying the final runs. Hamilton, who had topped Friday practice, described the day as surprising and said he believed Ferrari erred in not putting him on medium tyres for Q2. "We should have used a medium in Q2. That’s what everyone else did, and I can’t tell you why we didn’t end up using it, but we will take it internally," Hamilton said, expressing optimism for the race despite the setback.

The final frame delivered a strong showing for Verstappen, who admitted it was a difficult session and that a late push was necessary. "It was a very difficult session and on the last lap you just have to send it. I wasn’t even on the best tyres I wanted because you just run out of tyres," he said. The Dutchman added that the team had to take a risk in the closing moments, and he was relieved to find improvements when it mattered most.

The rest of the top 10 reflected a mix of McLaren, Ferrari and Ferrari-adjacent names, with Norris in seventh and Leclerc completing the top 10 ahead of the second row and outside contenders. The final order for the front half of the grid read: Verstappen, Sainz, Lawson, Antonelli, Russell, Tsunoda, Norris, Hadjar, Piastri, Leclerc. The session’s volatility left pundits questioning tyre strategy and weather conditions for the race as the field prepared to take on Baku’s stress points on Sunday.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for September 21, with lights out expected at 12:00 BST. BBC will provide live commentary and updates on its platforms, with dedicated coverage on BBC Sport and related apps.

The mood heading into the race remains uncertain given the chaos in qualifying; Verstappen’s pole gives him a clear lead on the grid, but the rain-slicked surface and the risk of further incidents could shake up the field once the cars roll away for the start. The drivers will look to convert pole into a strong race result, while teams reassess tyre choices and setup in light of the session’s unpredictable conditions.