Max Verstappen thwarted George Russell's attempt to claim a flawless set of fastest practice times, as Red Bull reignited its challenge to the Mercedes duo ahead of Friday's qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The final practice session on Baku's street circuit was marked by increasingly gusty winds, which added a fresh layer of difficulty to the already demanding, wall‑lined track. The erratic breezes caused a spate of off‑track excursions, with several drivers losing control and briefly leaving the racing line.
Mercedes had seemed to retain its Thursday advantage when the weather was calmer, but Verstappen quickly found a rhythm on the soft compound tyres. His lap times steadily improved, culminating in a blistering best lap of 1:43.922 that nudged him ahead of Russell on the leaderboard.
Russell, who had a close call with the barriers at the notorious Turn Seven after running straight on, posted a time just 0.099 seconds slower, securing second place. Ferrari, which had lingered well behind the front‑runners for most of the session, managed to insert Lewis Hamilton into the mix on his final flying lap. Hamilton's effort earned him third place, a mere 0.111 seconds shy of Verstappen's benchmark.
Much like Verstappen earlier in the hour, Hamilton benefited from a powerful tow on Baku's expansive pit straight, which gave him a noticeable boost in straight‑line speed. This aerodynamic assistance, combined with the prevailing wind conditions, is expected to play a pivotal role in the upcoming qualifying battle, scheduled to start 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 David Croft of Sky Sports F1. "These conditions are far from easy by any measure." 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 moments of sliding off the ideal racing line, underscoring how the wind was testing even the most experienced pilots. Three weeks after his spectacular pole‑position lap at the high‑speed Monza circuit, Pierre Gasly demonstrated Alpine's progress by climbing to sixth place, outpacing the McLaren pair.
Despite McLaren's introduction of a substantial aerodynamic upgrade for the Baku weekend, Lando Norris had already signaled on Thursday that the reigning world champions were unlikely to fight for pole, a prediction that held true as the British driver posted a time roughly 0.8 seconds off the leading pace. Oscar Piastri claimed seventh, followed closely by Norris, while Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, returning from a three‑race lay‑off due to a wrist injury, found himself further down the order as he worked to regain full confidence and speed.
Franco Colapinto placed tenth in the second Alpine, just ahead of Carlos Sainz, who was driving a heavily revised Williams that showed promising signs of improvement on Friday morning. The team appears eager to climb out of the congested upper‑midfield and challenge the established front runners. Lance Stroll's session was cut short after he clipped the inside wall at Turn One, forcing him to complete only nine laps before retiring to the run‑off area.
His incident highlighted the unforgiving nature of Baku's narrow streets, where even a minor miscalculation can end a lap prematurely. The weekend schedule continues with a packed lineup: Friday, September 25, will feature the F2 Feature Race 1 at 11:10 a.m., followed by the build‑up to Azerbaijan GP qualifying at 12:30 p.m., the qualifying session itself at 1 p.m., and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 3 p.m.
Saturday, September 26, brings the second F2 Feature Race at 7:55 a.m., a Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 a.m., the Azerbaijan Grand Prix race at noon, the 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. Fans can watch the action on Sky Sports F1, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract, allowing cancellation at any time. The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to deliver high‑octane excitement, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises a thrilling showdown as drivers contend with both the fierce competition and the unpredictable Baku winds.