Max Verstappen thwarted George Russell's attempt to claim a flawless set of fastest practice times, as Red Bull reignited a fresh challenge to the Mercedes pair ahead of Friday's qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The final practice session on the Baku street circuit was marked by increasingly gusty, unpredictable winds that added a new layer of difficulty to the already demanding, wall‑lined track.
These conditions caused a number of drivers to lose grip and run off the racing line, resulting in several off‑track excursions throughout the hour‑long session. Mercedes had appeared to maintain the dominance they displayed on Thursday when the weather was calmer, but Verstappen steadily improved his lap times on the soft tyre compound.
By the end of the session he had posted a best lap of 1:43.922, a time that nudged him ahead of Russell and placed him at the top of the timesheet. Russell, who had briefly flirted with the barriers at Turn Seven after a straight‑line run‑off, finished just 0.099 seconds slower in second place.
Ferrari, which had been trailing the leading pack for most of the day, managed to sneak into the podium positions thanks to a late‑stage effort from Lewis Hamilton. The former Mercedes driver set his final lap just 0.111 seconds behind Verstappen, benefiting from a powerful tow generated by the pack of cars ahead of him on Baku's famously long pit straight. This aerodynamic boost gave Hamilton extra straight‑line velocity, allowing him to close the gap to the Red Bull leader. Both the aerodynamic tow and the shifting wind patterns are expected to play pivotal roles in the upcoming qualifying session, which is scheduled to begin 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," said Sky Sports F1 commentator 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 drivers' championship, recorded the fourth‑fastest time, edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who occupied fifth.
Both drivers experienced brief moments of loss of control, underscoring how the wind was affecting even the most experienced pilots. Three weeks after his sensational pole position at the high‑speed Monza circuit, Pierre Gasly demonstrated Alpine's progress by posting the sixth‑fastest lap, outpacing the McLaren pair. Despite McLaren introducing a substantial aerodynamic upgrade for the Baku weekend, Lando Norris had already indicated after Thursday's runs that the reigning world champions were unlikely to fight for pole, a prediction that appeared to be confirmed as their best times were roughly 0.8 seconds off the leading pace.
Oscar Piastri claimed seventh place, with Norris just behind him, while Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, returning from a three‑race layoff due to a wrist injury, found himself further down the order as he worked to regain full speed. Franco Colapinto posted the tenth‑fastest time in the second Alpine, narrowly ahead of Carlos Sainz, who drove a heavily revised Williams that showed more promise on Friday morning as the team aimed to climb into the congested upper‑midfield battle. Lance Stroll's session was cut short after he clipped the inside wall at Turn One, completing only nine laps before stopping in the runoff area.
His incident highlighted the thin margin for error on Baku's unforgiving street layout. The weekend schedule continues with a packed programme of support races and qualifying action.
On Friday, the day begins with the F2 Feature Race 1 at 11:10, followed by the build‑up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying at 12:30, and the qualifying session itself at 13:00. Later in the afternoon, at 15:00, viewers can tune in to Ted's Qualifying Notebook for additional analysis. Saturday sees the second F2 Feature Race at 07:55, a morning build‑up to the Grand Prix at 10:30, the main race at 12:00, and post‑race reaction at 14:00, capped by 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 its exciting run on Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicking off a triple‑header of races. The Baku event, slated for Saturday at midday, promises high‑speed action and strategic intrigue as teams adapt to the windy conditions. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, with no long‑term contract required and the flexibility to cancel at any time.
This accessibility ensures that viewers can follow every twist and turn of the race weekend, from practice mishaps to the final chequered flag, without missing a moment of the drama that defines modern Formula 1.