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AZERBAIJAN 2026

SEPTEMBER 25 - 27

Bandeira Azerbaijão
Baku City Circuit
Circuito Azerbaijão Colorido

First Grand Prix

2016

Circuit Length

6.003 km

Lap Record

1:43.009

Charles Leclerc (2019)

  • Sprint Qualifying

Number of Laps

51

Race Distance

306.049 km

Most wins

2

Sergio Perez / Max Verstappen

  • Sprint Race

Schedule

  • Track time

25 SEP - 01:30 PM

Practice 1

25 SEP - 05:00 PM

Practice 2

26 SEP - 12:30 PM

Practice 3

26 SEP - 04:30 PM

Qualifying

27 SEP - 03:00 PM

Race

Winners

  • Last 5 winners

2026

George Russell

Mercedes

2025

Max Verstappen

Red Bull

2024

Oscar Piastri

McLaren

2023

Sergio Perez

Red Bull

2022

Max Verstappen

Red Bull

Race Results

POS NUM DRIVER TEAM TIME GAP LAPS
1 63 George Russell MERCEDES 1:45.387 24
2 3 Max Verstappen RED BULL 1:45.787 +0.400s 22
3 16 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 1:45.791 +0.404s 25
4 44 Lewis Hamilton FERRARI 1:45.824 +0.437s 25
5 12 Kimi Antonelli MERCEDES 1:46.265 +0.878s 9
6 81 Oscar Piastri MCLAREN 1:46.398 +1.011s 17
7 30 Liam Lawson RACING BULLS 1:46.440 +1.053s 26
8 41 Arvid Lindblad RACING BULLS 1:46.601 +1.214s 23
9 31 Esteban Ocon HAAS 1:46.624 +1.237s 19
10 5 Gabriel Bortoleto AUDI 1:46.688 +1.301s 21
11 27 Nico Hulkenberg AUDI 1:46.871 +1.484s 22
12 55 Carlos Sainz WILLIAMS 1:46.893 +1.506s 22
13 23 Alexander Albon WILLIAMS 1:46.939 +1.552s 29
14 1 Lando Norris MCLAREN 1:46.981 +1.594s 14
15 87 Oliver Bearman HAAS 1:46.994 +1.607s 22
16 10 Pierre Gasly ALPINE 1:47.043 +1.656s 22
17 11 Sergio Perez CADILLAC 1:47.253 +1.866s 24
18 43 Franco Colapinto ALPINE 1:47.523 +2.136s 23
19 14 Fernando Alonso ASTON MARTIN 1:47.835 +2.448s 24
20 6 Isack Hadjar RED BULL 1:47.873 +2.486s 8
21 18 Lance Stroll ASTON MARTIN 1:48.547 +3.160s 22
22 77 Valtteri Bottas CADILLAC 1:49.315 +3.928s 22

Race Results

P N DRIVER TEAM TIME GAP LAPS
1 63 Russell Mercedes 1:45.387 24
2 3 Verstappen Red Bull 1:45.787 +0.400s 22
3 16 Leclerc Ferrari 1:45.791 +0.404s 25
4 44 Hamilton Ferrari 1:45.824 +0.437s 25
5 12 Antonelli Mercedes 1:46.265 +0.878s 9
6 81 Piastri McLaren 1:46.398 +1.011s 17
7 30 Lawson Racing Bulls 1:46.440 +1.053s 26
8 41 Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:46.601 +1.214s 23
9 31 Ocon Haas 1:46.624 +1.237s 19
10 5 Bortoleto Audi 1:46.688 +1.301s 21
11 27 Hulkenberg Audi 1:46.871 +1.484s 22
12 55 Sainz Williams 1:46.893 +1.506s 22
13 23 Albon Williams 1:46.939 +1.552s 29
14 1 Norris McLaren 1:46.981 +1.594s 14
15 87 Bearman Haas 1:46.994 +1.607s 22
16 10 Gasly Alpine 1:47.043 +1.656s 22
17 11 Perez Cadillac 1:47.253 +1.866s 24
18 43 Colapinto Alpine 1:47.523 +2.136s 23
19 14 Alonso Aston Martin 1:47.835 +2.448s 24
20 6 Hadjar Red Bull 1:47.873 +2.486s 8
21 18 Stroll Aston Martin 1:48.547 +3.160s 22
22 77 Bottas Cadillac 1:49.315 +3.928s 22

Race Results

Ps Drv Time Gap Laps
1 RUS 1:45.387 24
2 VER 1:45.787 +0.400s 22
3 LEC 1:45.791 +0.404s 25
4 HAM 1:45.824 +0.437s 25
5 ANT 1:46.265 +0.878s 9
6 PIA 1:46.398 +1.011s 17
7 LAW 1:46.440 +1.053s 26
8 LIN 1:46.601 +1.214s 23
9 OCO 1:46.624 +1.237s 19
10 BOR 1:46.688 +1.301s 21
11 HUL 1:46.871 +1.484s 22
12 SAN 1:46.893 +1.506s 22
13 ALB 1:46.939 +1.552s 29
14 NOR 1:46.981 +1.594s 14
15 BEA 1:46.994 +1.607s 22
16 GAS 1:47.043 +1.656s 22
17 PER 1:47.253 +1.866s 24
18 COL 1:47.523 +2.136s 23
19 ALO 1:47.835 +2.448s 24
20 HAD 1:47.873 +2.486s 8
21 STR 1:48.547 +3.160s 22
22 BOT 1:49.315 +3.928s 22

Score Ratings

George Russell

10

Russell was back to his best in Baku, controlling the weekend from the opening practice session. He claimed pole by a huge margin and converted it into victory despite intense pressure from Verstappen in the closing laps. The Safety Car interventions repeatedly brought the field closer, but Russell stayed composed and defended his lead when it mattered. There was little to fault in his performance: it was a commanding, complete weekend and a reminder of what he can do when everything comes together.

Isack Hadjar

9.1

What a return for Hadjar after six weeks away with a wrist injury. He quickly found his rhythm, qualified ahead of Verstappen and showed strong pace throughout the race. Finishing on the podium was an impressive achievement, especially as he also made room for his team-mate when Verstappen came through. After Lawson’s promising spell in the car, Hadjar’s performance was a clear reminder of his own potential. His contract renewal looks like an increasingly smart move by Red Bull.

Max Verstappen

9.0

Verstappen looked frustrated after qualifying, where power and energy deployment problems left him eighth despite topping final practice. He put that setback behind him on race day, charging through the field and passing Piastri for second. In the closing laps, he pushed Russell hard and came close to turning a recovery drive into a victory. Red Bull may be only the fourth-strongest team overall, but Verstappen’s seven podiums in 15 races underline how much he continues to extract from the car.

Esteban Ocon

8.2

Ocon delivered a strong race for Haas, making decisive moves as others ran into trouble and fighting his way up from outside the top ten. He briefly looked capable of taking seventh, but Lindblad edged him at the line. The result was still an excellent points haul in a difficult season for the team. With questions continuing over his future, this was the kind of performance that strengthens his case and gives him a reason to leave Baku with his confidence restored.

Pierre Gasly

7.8

Gasly’s weekend deserved a much better ending. He qualified seventh and was still in a strong position when the final restart brought the Alpines together, with Colapinto’s lock-up taking both team-mates out of the race. Gasly had done the hard work to put himself in contention for another valuable points finish, only to leave Baku empty-handed through no fault of his own. His frustration afterwards was understandable: this was a good performance that ended in the worst possible way.

Arvid Lindblad

7.6

Lindblad endured another eventful weekend, having crashed in practice before starting the race from 15th. He recovered well and finished seventh, just ahead of Ocon, but the result cannot erase his collision with team-mate Lawson at the restart. Lindblad was fortunate to continue, while Lawson’s race was compromised. The rookie showed speed and resilience, yet he will need to learn from that incident. His recovery drive was impressive; the contact remains a costly blemish.

Charles Leclerc

7.3

Leclerc did well to secure second on the grid, although the tow helped him close the gap to Russell. Ferrari could not match the race pace of the Mercedes or Red Bulls, and Leclerc had little chance of holding onto a podium position. He eventually reclaimed fourth when Piastri locked up at Turn 1, which was close to the best result available. He outperformed Hamilton this time, but Ferrari’s pace still left him managing the race rather than fighting for the win.

Carlos Sainz

7.2

Williams’ updates appeared to give the team a welcome boost, and Sainz made the most of it by reaching Q3. A penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags dropped him down the grid, but he recovered through the race to claim a point. His strong restarts helped him take advantage of the chaos, and the result ended Williams’ wait for points since Monaco. It was a useful lift for the team, even if the penalty had made his race much harder than it needed to be.

Oliver Bearman

7.0

Bearman narrowly missed out on Q3 and spent much of the race leading Haas’ effort. Contact with Antonelli at a Safety Car restart was a scrappy moment that allowed Ocon to move ahead, but he recovered to ninth and helped the team place both cars in the points. It was a useful result after a weekend in which he showed good pace. While Ocon ultimately had the stronger finish, Bearman’s contribution was important to Haas.

Kimi Antonelli

6.7

Antonelli’s weekend was split between promise and a costly mistake. He crashed out in Q1, an unnecessary error that forced him to start from 16th and ended any realistic chance of fighting for the win. In the race, he showed patience and recovered to fifth despite picking up floor damage. The result limited the damage, but Russell’s dominant weekend made the contrast between the two Mercedes drivers hard to ignore. Antonelli will need to be cleaner in qualifying to make the most of his pace.

Lewis Hamilton

6.5

Hamilton had a fairly quiet weekend by his standards, finishing sixth in both qualifying and the race. He reported significant tyre difficulties during the Grand Prix and never appeared to have the pace to challenge Leclerc or the front-runners. Ferrari’s run plan also left him without the tow he needed in qualifying. There have been some excellent performances from Hamilton this season, but Baku was another reminder that he is still struggling to feel fully comfortable with the car.

Liam Lawson

6.3

Lawson returned to Racing Bulls after three races with the senior team and showed reasonable pace in qualifying. His race was then badly affected when Lindblad made contact with him at the first Safety Car restart, leaving the car damaged and his chances of a good result in tatters. Twelfth place does not tell the whole story of his afternoon. He had been in a position to fight for points, but an incident with his team-mate left him with little opportunity to recover.

Sergio Perez

6.2

Perez described Baku as one of his strongest weekends, and his performance was encouraging by Cadillac’s standards. He was competitive against Bottas and managed to mix it with some of the midfield runners, finishing 14th despite the team’s limited pace. Several retirements helped the final result, but Perez still showed good control across the weekend. Cadillac remains far from the front, so his ability to stay in contention with stronger cars was one of the more positive signs for the team.

Nico Hulkenberg

6.1

Audi’s new parts did not produce the step forward the team had hoped for in qualifying, and Hulkenberg had to work his way through the field on race day. He recovered to 11th and was close to the points before Sainz passed him late in the race. The Mercedes-powered Williams had an advantage that Audi could not match, but Hulkenberg still brought the car into contention after a difficult start. It was a respectable recovery, though the team will expect more from its upgrade package.

Gabriel Bortoleto

5.3

Audi’s double Q1 elimination was a surprise, but the updated R26 lacked the power to make a meaningful impact in the race. Bortoleto made some progress, yet he could not overcome the same straight-line speed deficit as Hulkenberg and finished outside the points. The weekend was difficult for the whole team, and the new parts did not deliver the expected improvement. Bortoleto’s effort was steady, but there was little he could do to compensate for the car’s limitations.

Lando Norris

5.2

Norris endured a messy weekend, with a mistake on his final qualifying lap leaving him fifth on the grid. He then lost positions in the race after another lock-up before becoming an innocent victim of Colapinto’s crash at the restart. The contact was not his fault, but his performance beforehand had not been especially strong. He struggled to adapt to McLaren’s updates and made an error of his own before the incident. The early exit was unfortunate, though this was not one of his better weekends.

Oscar Piastri

5.1

Piastri looked on course for a much stronger result for much of the weekend. He qualified third and spent a large part of the race in the podium positions, but a major lock-up at Turn 1 dropped him down the order and threw away those chances. Red Bull’s pace would have made the fight difficult, but Piastri’s mistake was decisive. He has said he is feeling better in the car, yet he needs to turn that progress into results before another opportunity slips away.

Fernando Alonso

4.7

Alonso had little opportunity to show what he could do in a car that remains well off the pace. He qualified near the back, took a power-unit penalty and retired after only 20 laps with a suspected engine problem. It was another miserable weekend for Aston Martin, and the lack of reliability made an already difficult race even shorter. Alonso’s resignation about the situation says a lot about the team’s struggles: there was little he could do to change the outcome.

Lance Stroll

4.0

Stroll’s race ended with a water-pressure problem, adding another mechanical failure to Aston Martin’s difficult season. There was little to highlight in his performance before the retirement, and he was unable to challenge for a meaningful result. The team’s lack of pace and reliability continues to leave both drivers with few opportunities to show what they can do. Baku was another frustrating weekend for Stroll and Aston Martin.

Valtteri Bottas

3.8

Bottas’ final qualifying lap was deleted after being set under double-waved yellow flags, leaving him at the back of the grid. He nearly made it to the finish, but a late visit to the barriers ended his race. While Perez had some moments of encouragement, Bottas remained slower and struggled to extract pace from the Cadillac. It is increasingly difficult to see where the improvement will come from, and Baku offered little to suggest that he is close to unlocking more from the car.

Alexander Albon

3.5

Albon’s race ended in the barriers at Turn 4, bringing out the first Safety Car. The incident came in windy conditions, but it was another mistake in an already difficult season. Williams showed signs of improvement with its updates, and Sainz was able to score a point, making Albon’s retirement particularly disappointing. He will need to turn the car’s progress into cleaner results if he is to stop the gap to his team-mate from becoming a recurring story.

Franco Colapinto

2.8

Colapinto had been quick and reached Q3, putting himself in a position to fight for points. Then a heavy lock-up at the second restart caused a collision that ended his own race and took out team-mate Gasly and Norris. Alpine had a chance to score strongly with both cars, but the incident turned that possibility into a double retirement. The mistake was costly and avoidable, especially given how well the weekend had been going up to that point.