Max Verstappen thwarted George Russell's bid for a flawless practice session, as Red Bull reignited its challenge to the Mercedes pair ahead of Friday's qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The final practice saw the Baku streets become even more unpredictable, with gusty winds picking up and causing a series of off‑track excursions for several drivers during the hour‑long run. On Thursday, Mercedes had seemed to dominate the slower, calmer conditions, but the shifting weather on Friday allowed Verstappen to extract extra performance from the soft tyres.
He gradually closed the gap to the leading time and eventually eclipsed Russell, posting a best lap of 1:43.922 to sit atop the session's rankings. Russell, who clipped the barriers at Turn Seven after briefly losing control, finished a close second, just 0.099 seconds shy of Verstappen's mark. Despite the near‑miss, his pace remained strong enough to keep him within striking distance of the Red Bull star. Ferrari, which had trailed the front runners for most of the session, managed to sneak into the podium positions thanks to a late surge from Lewis Hamilton.
The former Mercedes driver recorded a final‑lap time that placed him third, a mere 0.111 seconds behind Verstappen. Hamilton's improvement was aided by a powerful tow from cars ahead on Baku's long pit straight, giving him a boost of straight‑line speed that proved decisive in the closing moments. Both the aerodynamic tow and the unpredictable wind are expected to play pivotal roles in the upcoming qualifying, set to begin at 1 p.m.
and 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 Sky Sports F1 analyst David Croft. "These are not easy conditions out there by any stretch of the imagination." Kimi Antonelli, who leads Russell by 81 points in the championship standings, secured fourth place, edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who rounded out the top five. Both drivers experienced brief off‑track moments, underscoring how the wind was affecting even the most seasoned competitors.
Three weeks after his stunning pole at the high‑speed Monza circuit, Pierre Gasly demonstrated Alpine's progress by posting the sixth‑fastest time, outpacing the McLaren duo. Despite McLaren introducing a substantial car upgrade for the Baku weekend, Lando Norris had already dismissed the reigning world champions as serious pole contenders after Thursday's runs, a sentiment that proved accurate as the team lagged roughly 0.8 seconds behind the leaders. Oscar Piastri claimed seventh place, followed closely by Norris, while Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, still shaking off a three‑race layoff due to a wrist injury, found himself further down the order. Franco Colapinto delivered a solid performance in the second Alpine, finishing tenth, just ahead of Carlos Sainz in a heavily revised Williams that showed promising signs of improvement during Friday's morning session.
Lance Stroll's day was cut short after he clipped the inside wall at Turn One, completing only nine laps before retiring to the run‑off area. His incident highlighted the fine line between aggression and caution on a circuit where the walls are unforgiving. The weekend schedule continues with a packed lineup of support races and events. On Friday, the F2 Feature Race 1 kicks off at 11:10 a.m., followed by the build‑up to Azerbaijan GP qualifying at 12:30 p.m., and the main qualifying session at 1 p.m.
A special "Ted's Qualifying Notebook" segment will air at 3 p.m. Saturday brings the second F2 Feature Race at 7:55 a.m., pre‑race build‑up at 10:30 a.m., the Grand Prix itself at noon, and post‑race analysis, including a chequered‑flag reaction at 2 p.m. and another edition of Ted's Notebook at 3 p.m., all broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event. The 2026 Formula 1 season remains on track, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marking the start of a triple‑header weekend.
Viewers can stream Sky Sports F1 via NOW without a long‑term contract, enjoying the flexibility to cancel at any time. The combination of shifting winds, strategic tow opportunities, and the ever‑present threat of wall‑contact promises a thrilling qualifying session and an exciting race day ahead for fans and teams alike.