Max Verstappen managed to snatch the top spot in the final practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, preventing George Russell from completing a clean sweep of the fastest times and signalling a renewed threat from Red Bull to the Mercedes pair ahead of Friday's qualifying. The session, held on the notoriously windy streets of Baku, turned into a test of driver skill and car stability as gusts picked up and several competitors lost control, running off the track at various points throughout the hour. On Thursday, when the wind was calmer, Mercedes had looked dominant, with Russell and his teammate setting the benchmark.
However, as the wind intensified on Friday, the Red Bull driver found extra grip on the soft compound tyres and gradually closed the gap to the leader. By the end of the session Verstappen posted a best lap of 1:43.922, edging Russell by just under a tenth of a second and taking the provisional top spot on the timesheet.
Russell, who had a close call at Turn Seven after briefly clipping the barriers, finished a narrow 0.099 seconds behind Verstappen in second place. His near‑miss highlighted how unforgiving the Baku circuit can be when the wind pushes the car sideways, especially in the tight, wall‑flanked sections where even a small mis‑calculation can send a driver into the runoff.
Further down the order, Ferrari struggled to match the pace of the leading duo for most of the session. Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton managed to climb into third place on his final lap, ending the session only 0.111 seconds shy of Verstappen’s best time.
Hamilton’s improvement was largely due to a well‑timed tow from the pack on Baku’s long pit straight, which gave him a brief boost of straight‑line speed and helped him extract a few extra tenths of a second. Both the aerodynamic tow and the ever‑changing wind conditions are expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming qualifying, which is scheduled to start at 13:00 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. "The weather has given us the prospect of an absolutely fascinating and dramatic qualifying session," remarked David Croft of Sky Sports F1.
"These are not easy conditions out there by any stretch of the imagination." Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship by 81 points over Russell, posted the fourth‑fastest time, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who occupied fifth place. Both drivers experienced moments where they left the racing line, underscoring how the wind can catch even the most experienced pilots off guard.
Three weeks after his spectacular pole at the high‑speed Monza circuit, Pierre Gasly showed that his Alpine could still compete at the front, posting the sixth‑fastest time and beating both McLarens. Despite McLaren bringing a substantial aerodynamic upgrade to Baku, Lando Norris had already dismissed the reigning world champions as serious pole contenders after Thursday’s runs, a sentiment that appeared justified as the team was roughly 0.8 seconds off the leading pace.
Oscar Piastri secured seventh place, with Norris following in eighth. Both drivers were ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who is still regaining full fitness after missing three races with a wrist injury. Franco Colapinto, driving the second Alpine, was tenth, just ahead of Carlos Sainz in a heavily revised Williams that showed signs of improvement on Friday morning, suggesting the team could become a more competitive force in the congested upper‑midfield battle. Lance Stroll’s day was cut short after he clipped the inside wall at Turn One, completing only nine laps before retiring to the runoff area.
The weekend schedule continues with a packed programme: on Friday, the F2 Feature Race 1 will kick off at 11:10, followed by the build‑up to qualifying at 12:30, and the Azerbaijan GP qualifying itself at 13:00. Later, at 15:00, Ted’s Qualifying Notebook will provide analysis. Saturday will see the second F2 Feature Race at 07:55, the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30, and the main race at midday, with post‑race reaction and further commentary scheduled throughout the afternoon. All events will also be available on Sky Sports Main Event.
The 2026 Formula 1 season is being broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marking the start of a triple‑header of races. Viewers can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract and cancel at any time, ensuring easy access to the high‑octane action on the streets of Baku.