A chaotic qualifying with no fewer than six red flags eventually saw Max Verstappen claim his sixth pole position of the season. A ballistic final run in treacherous conditions saw him nab pole position from the session’s standout entries: Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson.
It initially seemed as though we were headed for a massive upset as raindrops pelted the circuit at the start of Q3. The drivers headed out in order to get a lap in while the circuit was still dry. It was Carlos Sainz who initially topped the timesheets ahead of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. The only other drivers to get banker laps in.
However, Charles Leclerc locked up at turn 15, hit the barriers, and crashed out before any of the frontrunners had a chance to restore order. For a few minutes, it looked as though Sainz could have claimed a shock pole for Williams; however, the session eventually resumed. Once proceedings got back underway, it was Verstappen who was first out, only for Oscar Piastri to crash out and bring out a red flag before Verstappen could finish his flying lap. As a result, Sainz retained provisional pole until the session resumed with less than four minutes to go. Lando Norris looked set to capitalise on his teammate’s misfortune until he clipped the wall on the exit at turn 15 and had to settle for seventh.
Behind the unexpected top three, Kimi Antonelli secured fourth ahead of George Russell, the rookie outqualifying his teammate for only the second time this year. After barely making Q3, Yuki Tsunoda did well to manage sixth for Red Bull ahead of Norris and Isack Hadjar. Piastri’s crash relegated him to ninth ahead of Leclerc, the session’s other non-starter.
Q2 was marred by an early red flag thanks to Ollie Bearman, who clipped the wall and was forced out of the session.
As the times came in, Verstappen headed to the top of the timesheets with the McLarens in close attendance. Mercedes looked stronger than their free practice pace might have suggested, to the point where both Ferrari drivers were forced to attempt final laps in order to secure spots in Q3. Leclerc clipped the wall on his run but was nevertheless able to go fourth fastest, while Hamilton’s final lap was only good enough for 12th. His fifth Q2 exit of the season. Fernando Alonso qualified 11th ahead of his old rival, while Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Bearman made up the rest of the Q2 knockouts.
Having languished in last place in the constructors’ standings for much of this season, Alpine had a disastrous qualifying in Baku.
As the session neared its end, Pierre Gasly ran wide at turn four and ruled himself out of contention. Seconds later, his teammate Franco Colapinto arrived on the scene and crashed out mere meters away from Gasly. The session was red flagged for a third and final time with Colapinto locked into 16th ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who crashed out earlier in the session, Esteban Ocon who suffered a puncture, Gasly and Alex Albon. After a solid showing in free practice, the Williams driver clipped the inside wall at turn one, damaged his suspension, and will therefore start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
McLaren came to Baku on the verge of constructors’ glory. But after the chaos in qualifying and Verstappen on pole, there are no safe bets ahead of either the race or the world championship.
