Grand Prix

F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025 Starting Grid

Check out the starting grid for Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit.
Ewan Gale|
Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position after winning out in a chaotic qualifying session.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion was four-tenths faster than Williams' Carlos Sainz in a final segment of qualifying that saw both Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc crash out.

Sainz has given Williams a first front-row start since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix and lines up ahead of Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Max Verstappen, Red Bull, during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit, Baku. | Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Kimi Antonelli put everything together for a much-welcomed fourth on the grid ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, who is still fighting a respiratory infection.

Another driver that delivered sought after respite from external pressure was Yuki Tsunoda, who will line up sixth.

Lando Norris escaped from a brush with the wall without damage but set a time only good enough for seventh, with Isack Hadjar making it a double top-10 for Racing Bulls in eighth.

Championship leader Piastri failed to set a time before triggering a record sixth red flag of the session and will have to fight through from ninth to score big, while Leclerc also left his mechanics a rebuild and will launch his Ferrari from 10th.

Elsewhere on the grid, Lewis Hamilton will need a strong drive to fightback from 12th on the grid after a disappointing Q2, while the bottom six on the grid contain four drivers that found the barriers and one that was disqualified.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari

Oliver Bearman bent the suspension on his Haas at Turn 3 and is 15th and Franco Colapinto made of a mess of his Alpine after setting the 16th best time.

Nico Hulkenberg is 17th for Sauber after finding the barriers at Turn 4 - though he continued in the session - while Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, another who crashed, move up one position each from where they qualified to 18th and 19th.

That's because Esteban Ocon was disqualified from the session after his Haas failed a rear wing deflection test.

F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025 starting grid with penalties applied

Position

Driver / Team

1

Max Verstappen / Red Bull

2

Carlos Sainz / Williams

3

Liam Lawson / Racing Bulls

4

Kimi Antonelli / Mercedes

5

George Russell / Mercedes

6

Yuki Tsunoda / Racing Bulls

7

Lando Norris / McLaren

8

Isack Hadjar / Racing Bulls

9

Oscar Piastri / McLaren

10

Charles Leclerc / Ferrari

11

Fernando Alonso / Aston Martin

12

Lewis Hamilton / Ferrari

13

Gabriel Bortoleto / Sauber

14

Lance Stroll / Aston Martin

15

Oliver Bearman / Haas

16

Franco Colapinto / Alpine

17

Nico Hulkenberg / Sauber

18

Pierre Gasly / Alpine

19

Alex Albon / Williams

20

Esteban Ocon / Haas

F1 Start Time & How To Watch

  • Start Time: 7:00 a.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. Local
  • TV/Stream: ESPN / ESPN+ / F1TV
  • Location: Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan

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    Ewan Gale
    EWAN GALE

    Ewan is a motorsport journalist covering F1 for Grand Prix On SI. Having been educated at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, and subsequently graduating from university with a sports journalism degree, Ewan made a move into F1 in 2021. Ewan joins after a stint with Autosport as an editor, having written for a number of outlets including RacingNews365 and GPFans, during which time he has covered grand prix and car launches as an accredited member of the media.

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