Max Verstappen thwarted George Russell's bid for a clean sweep of the fastest times in the final practice session, as Red Bull reignited its challenge to the Mercedes pair ahead of Friday's qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The session was marked by increasingly gusty conditions on Baku's street circuit, turning the already demanding layout into a true test of driver skill and car stability. The wind picked up as the hour progressed, causing several competitors to lose grip and run off the track at various points around the circuit.
Mercedes had appeared to maintain the advantage they showed during Thursday's calmer practice runs, but Verstappen gradually found more speed on the soft compound tyres. By the end of the hour he had posted a best lap of 1:43.922, a time that nudged him ahead of Russell on the leaderboard. Russell, who had clipped the barriers at Turn Seven after a straight‑line mistake, finished just 0.099 seconds slower in second place. Ferrari, which had lingered well behind the front‑runners for most of the session, managed to insert a representative onto the podium when Lewis Hamilton delivered a rapid final‑lap effort.
Hamilton's time placed him third, a mere 0.111 seconds off Verstappen's benchmark. His performance was aided by a powerful tow from cars ahead on Baku's long pit straight, giving him a short burst of extra straight‑line velocity that proved decisive in the closing moments of the run.
Both the aerodynamic tow and the variable wind are expected to play pivotal roles in the upcoming qualifying battle, which is scheduled to begin at 13:00 local time 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," commented Sky Sports F1 analyst David Croft.
"These are not easy conditions by any stretch of the imagination." Kimi Antonelli, who leads Russell by 81 points in the championship standings, posted the fourth‑fastest time, edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who occupied fifth. Both drivers experienced brief off‑track excursions during the hour, underscoring how the wind and the narrow street walls were testing even the most experienced pilots. Three weeks after his sensational pole position at the high‑speed Monza circuit, Pierre Gasly demonstrated that his Alpine could still contend at the front, clocking the sixth‑quickest lap and outpacing the McLaren duo. Despite McLaren bringing a substantial aerodynamic upgrade to Baku, Lando Norris had already signaled after Thursday's runs that the reigning champions were unlikely to fight for pole, a prediction that was reinforced by the 0.8‑second gap separating the McLarens from the session leaders.
Oscar Piastri recorded the seventh‑fastest time, with Norris slotting in eighth. Both drivers were ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, who appears to be still regaining full pace after missing three races due to a wrist injury. Franco Colapinto placed tenth in the second Alpine, just ahead of Carlos Sainz, who drove a heavily revised Williams that showed promising improvement in Friday's morning runs as the team aimed to climb into the congested upper‑midfield battle.
Lance Stroll's day was cut short after he completed only nine laps; he clipped the inside wall at Turn One and was forced to stop in the runoff area, ending his participation in the session. The weekend schedule continues with a packed program of support races and qualifying action. On Friday, the F2 Feature Race 1 will kick off at 11:10, followed by the Azerbaijan GP qualifying build‑up at 12:30, and the main qualifying session at 13:00.
A post‑qualifying analysis, "Ted's Qualifying Notebook," will be aired at 15:00. Saturday's agenda includes the second F2 Feature Race at 07:55, a Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself at 12:00, and a post‑race reaction segment at 14:00, with another edition of Ted's Notebook at 15:00. All events will also be available on Sky Sports Main Event. The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to race on a Saturday schedule, and Sky Sports F1 will provide live coverage of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which opens a triple‑header of races this week.
Viewers can stream the action via NOW, with a flexible, contract‑free subscription that can be cancelled at any time. The combination of unpredictable wind, a tight street layout, and the high stakes of championship points makes this weekend's qualifying and race a must‑watch for motorsport fans worldwide.