Verstappen takes Baku pole after record six red flags

After a remarkable qualifying session that included a record-breaking six red flags at the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen positioned first, ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz.

After colliding in qualifying’s final stretch and failing to turn in a good final lap, McLaren’s championship rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will start seventh and ninth.

Sainz was on pace for pole position after setting a time for Charles Leclerc in the final few minutes of qualifying.

Verstappen was the only driver to save Sainz’s time when the session restarted for the final time with just over three minutes left. Piastri then crashed shortly after the session was restarted.

Liam Lawson, a Racing Bulls’ driver, will finish third after Sainz and him in the opening session.

Following one of the many incidents during the session, Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell came in fifth and sixth fastest, but the Italian is facing a charge of overtaking after a yellow flag overturned.

After the Australian crashed at Turn Three in the middle of the final session, Norris had a fantastic opportunity to make up ground for Piastri, who currently leads the championship by 31 points.

However, Verstappen was unable to complete the lap by 1.122secs, which was a scrappy final lap with plenty of moments on the exits of corners. The second Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull also defeated him.

In the final run, Norris claimed, “Just wasn’t quick enough.” Was always good and we thought we went first out hoping that at least I would get the lap in if another crash, but the track was still inundated with rain.

I made a minor mistake and hit the wall on the final lap, but I was compensated for it because I was the first one out, and I was disappointed.

“To try to win may seem a little unrealistic, but we still need to get the most points and do some overtaking,” said Max, who has been at the pace all weekend.

Isack Hadjar’s second Racing Bull, who was the other driver to record a time at the start of the session, placed eighth, ahead of the crashers Piastri and Leclerc.

After Hamilton’s top-10 shootout, Leclerc’s crash gave Ferrari another bad day.

The two-hour session saw the most red-flag stoppages, breaking a previous record held by the 2024 Sao Paulo Grands Prix and the 2022 Emilia-Romagna Grands Prix.

Williams’ Alex Albon, who struck the inside apex at Turn One, causing the first of three red-flag stoppages in the first session, was the first to crash.

After both Alpine drivers made mistakes at the same corner after the restart, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg crashed at Turn Four, ending the session a few seconds early.

Pierre Gasly accelerated up the escape route before his team-mate Franco Colapinto erred when he entered the same corner despite the wave of yellow flags and crashed out of the exit.

The next red flag was then raised by Haas driver Oliver Bearman as he entered Turn Two and oversteered into the wall. After the session ended without incident, Piastri hit the wall as he exited Turn 15, but he was able to continue on his lap.

Due to the beginning of light rain, which may have contributed to the Leclerc and Piastri crashes, the excitement increased during the final session.

Leclerc, who had spent the previous four years on pole in Baku, immediately entered the Turn 15 tyre barrier before Piastri, who had already done it, did the same thing at Turn Three.

Ferrari didn’t put him on medium tires for the second session, according to Hamilton, who felt that was a mistake.

He claimed that in Q2, “we should have used a medium.” We knew it would be quicker than everyone else, and I can’t explain why we didn’t use it, but we will keep it internal, but there has been significant improvement.

1. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen

2. Williams vs. Carlos Sainz

3. (Racing Bulls) Lawson

4. (Mercedes) Kimi Antonelli

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Red Bull, Yellow Bull, Yuki Tsunoda

7. McLaren’s Lando Norris

8. The Racing Bulls (Isack Hadjar)

9. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri