F1 Baku GP starting grid: McLaren and Ferrari struggle, surprise on the front row

F1 Baku GP starting grid: McLaren and Ferrari struggle, surprise on the front row. F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying produced chaos in Baku.

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-25, 2025 F1

Baku GP, crazy starting grid: Verstappen on pole, Sainz second, Ferrari and McLaren disappoint

The chequered flag has fallen on qualifying for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, and the grid is now set with plenty of surprises. Both Ferrari and McLaren underdelivered, while the front row brought unexpected results. Tomorrow’s race, the 17th round of the season, promises to be thrilling, with lights out scheduled for 13:00 local time. A dramatic session ended with Max Verstappen on pole, joined by Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson at the top of the order.

The Baku City Circuit remains one of the most spectacular and demanding tracks on the calendar. On one side, there are the long straights where cars exceed 340 km/h; on the other, the narrow and twisting sections between the historic city walls where precision is everything. It is a circuit that punishes even the smallest mistakes, where slipstreaming and track position strategies can make all the difference.

After studying the data from the first two free practice sessions, Ferrari opted for a lower-downforce setup compared to what was used yesterday on Lewis Hamilton’s car, which had been fastest on Friday. In FP3, Hamilton also switched to the same low-downforce rear wing specification already adopted by Charles Leclerc. As confirmed by Ferrari ambassador Marc Gené, the team considered this the right move after simulations showed clear benefits for both qualifying and race pace.