Formula 1 qualifying for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set to begin in Baku, with George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the field preparing to fight for pole position on the demanding street circuit. The session starts at 14:00 CET is scheduled to finish one hour later, barring accidents, red flags or other interruptions.
Welcome to ScuderiaFans.com’s live coverage of Azerbaijan GP qualifying. The Baku City Circuit regularly produces unpredictable sessions, with its narrow sections and high-speed straights leaving little margin for error. Unlike some other street venues, however, qualifying is not necessarily decisive for the rest of the weekend because the circuit also offers significant overtaking opportunities during the race. The complete weekend timings are available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
George Russell leads the contenders for Azerbaijan GP pole
George Russell enters qualifying as the leading candidate for pole after setting the fastest time in both FP1 and FP2. The Mercedes driver was unable to complete a clean sweep of the practice sessions, however, as Max Verstappen produced the fastest lap in Saturday morning’s FP3.
Max Verstappen finished only 0.099 seconds ahead of George Russell, highlighting just how close the battle could be once qualifying begins. Lewis Hamilton also brought Ferrari back towards the front, setting the third-fastest time in FP3 and finishing only 0.111 seconds away from Max Verstappen.
The close margins make the final practice data particularly interesting ahead of qualifying, with the comparative running from the weekend available through the ScuderiaFans F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis.
Lewis Hamilton puts Ferrari into the fight as Charles Leclerc searches for pace
Lewis Hamilton’s third place gave Ferrari encouragement before the battle for pole, especially after the challenges the SF-26 has faced around Baku’s demanding layout. Straight-line performance and energy management are particularly important at this circuit, with Ferrari facing an important test through the high-speed sections and long acceleration zones outlined in our analysis of Baku’s crucial straight-mode zones.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended FP3 in fourth place, while Charles Leclerc was around six tenths away from the fastest time. The Ferrari driver struggled to put together a strong lap on the Soft tyres in the closing stages of the session, leaving some uncertainty over his true qualifying potential.
Will FP3 form carry into Baku qualifying?
The central question is whether the competitive order seen in final practice will remain intact once qualifying begins. Max Verstappen, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were separated by little more than a tenth in FP3, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli was also close enough to remain part of the leading group.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, will be looking for a cleaner Soft-tyre lap after his difficulties late in FP3. With Baku capable of producing surprises and interruptions at almost any moment, the fight for pole remains open as the field prepares for one of the most demanding qualifying sessions of the season.
Follow the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session live with ScuderiaFans.com as the grid for the 2026 race in Baku is decided.
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