Max Verstappen managed to snatch the top spot from George Russell in the final practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, thwarting Russell’s hopes of a clean sweep of the fastest times. The Red Bull driver’s quick lap on the soft compound, a 1:43.922, demonstrated that the Dutchman was still a step ahead as the weekend moved toward qualifying on Friday afternoon.
The Baku street circuit, already notorious for its long straights and tight, wall‑flanked sections, became even more demanding when gusty winds picked up during the last hour of practice. The sudden breezes made the already tricky corners feel slippery, and a number of drivers lost grip and briefly left the track.
Turn Seven proved especially treacherous; Russell clipped the barriers after a momentary lapse, yet he recovered enough to post a lap just 0.099 seconds slower than Verstappen, securing second place on the timesheet. Mercedes had looked dominant in the calmer Thursday sessions, with Russell and his teammate Lewis Hamilton posting a series of strong sector times.
However, the changing weather conditions gave Red Bull an opportunity to close the gap. Verstappen’s increasing confidence on the soft tyres allowed him to edge ahead, and his final lap benefited from a well‑timed tow down Baku’s massive pit straight, adding a burst of straight‑line speed that proved decisive.
Hamilton also took advantage of a similar aerodynamic push on his last lap, moving his car into third place, a mere 0.111 seconds off Verstappen’s best time. The tow, combined with the ever‑present wind, is expected to play a pivotal role in the upcoming qualifying battle, where drivers will need to balance raw speed with the ability to keep the car stable under variable gusts. Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship by 81 points over Russell, posted the fourth‑quickest time, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who occupied the fifth spot.
Both drivers experienced brief off‑track excursions, underscoring how unforgiving the Baku layout can be when the wind is blowing. Pierre Gasly, fresh from his impressive pole‑position performance at the high‑speed Monza circuit three weeks earlier, placed his Alpine in sixth, outpacing the McLaren duo. Despite McLaren’s introduction of a substantial aerodynamic upgrade for the weekend, Lando Norris was already deemed unlikely to challenge for pole after Thursday’s runs, and his Friday performance confirmed that assessment as he trailed the leaders by roughly 0.8 seconds.
Oscar Piastri, the Australian rookie, recorded the seventh‑fastest lap, ahead of Norris, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, still regaining form after missing three races due to a wrist injury, found himself further down the order. Franco Colapinto, driving the second Alpine, secured tenth place, narrowly ahead of a revitalised Williams entry driven by Carlos Sainz. The Williams car, which has undergone extensive revisions, showed promising pace in the morning, hinting at a possible 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 retiring to the run‑off area. His incident highlighted the thin margin for error on a circuit where any misjudgment can quickly end a lap. Looking ahead, the qualifying session is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Friday, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky Sports F1 analyst David Croft remarked, "The weather has given us the prospect of a truly fascinating and dramatic qualifying session. These are not easy conditions by any stretch of the imagination." Both the wind and the aerodynamic tow will be crucial variables that drivers must manage to extract the maximum performance from their machines. The weekend schedule continues with a packed lineup of support races and additional coverage. On Friday, the F2 Feature Race 1 will kick off at 11:10 a.m., followed by the qualifying build‑up at 12:30 p.m., and the main qualifying session at 1 p.m.
Later in the day, Ted Croft will present his Qualifying Notebook at 3 p.m. Saturday will see the second F2 Feature Race at 7:55 a.m., a Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 a.m., the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself at noon, and post‑race analysis throughout the afternoon.
Fans can stream the action via Sky Sports using the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option, ensuring easy access to the high‑octane drama of the 2026 Formula 1 season as it unfolds in Baku. The combination of unpredictable wind, a challenging street layout, and a tightly contested field promises an exciting qualifying session and a race that could reshuffle the championship standings.