Formula 1’s 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Review
The streets of Baku once again delivered drama, tension, and a decisive shift in the championship picture. Max Verstappen produced a flawless weekend, taking pole position on Saturday and converting it into a dominant lights-to-flag victory on Sunday. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri’s title defense took a heavy blow after the Australian crashed out on Lap 1, allowing Lando Norris to close the gap in the Drivers’ standings. With Mercedes and Williams also making the podium, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix highlighted just how unpredictable and punishing the tight, high-speed Baku City Circuit can be.
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2025 Azerbaijan Qualifying Review
The streets of Baku delivered one of the most chaotic and unforgettable Qualifying sessions in recent memory. Amidst six red flags, shifting winds, and spots of rain, Max Verstappen emerged from the madness to claim pole position for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver denied a shock pole from Williams’ Carlos Sainz, while Drivers’ Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out in Q3 in dramatic fashion.
Q1: Early Exits and a Triple Red Flag
Rain began to fall as the session got underway, and within minutes, Alex Albon brought out the first red flag after slapping the Turn 1 wall in his Williams. Shortly after, Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto both found the barriers at Turn 4 in separate incidents, bringing out two more stoppages before the clock had even ticked under 6 minutes.
Isack Hadjar jumped to P5, Kimi Antonelli recovered from a deleted lap and a yellow flag investigation to slot into Q6, and the usual suspects shuffled at the top—Norris, Verstappen, Leclerc, and Russell trading blows. Norris eventually topped the session with a 1:41.396s.
Knocked Out: Colapinto, Hülkenberg, Ocon, Gasly, Albon
Q2: Bearman Crashes, Hamilton Stumbles
More chaos in Q2. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman brought out the fourth red flag of the session after crashing at Turn 2. Piastri had a slight brush with the wall, while Leclerc survived two deep runs and a kiss of the barrier at Turn 2 to just make it through.
Lewis Hamilton, after showing strong pace in FP2 and FP3, failed to hook it up when it mattered most. A scrappy lap left the Ferrari driver P12 and out in Q2—joining Alonso, Bortoleto, Stroll, and Bearman on the sidelines.
Knocked Out: Alonso, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Stroll, Bearman
Q3: Crashes for Leclerc and Piastri, Verstappen Delivers
Just eight drivers made it out for the initial Q3 run as rain and nerves built in equal measure. Sainz, Lawson, and Hadjar posted banker laps before Leclerc’s crash at Turn 15 triggered red flag number five. On the restart, Piastri—who had looked sharp all weekend—lost the car at Turn 3 and slammed the barriers, bringing out the sixth and final red flag.
When Q3 resumed again, conditions were tricky and tyre strategy was scrambled. Verstappen was the only driver able to improve significantly, delivering a masterful lap to snatch pole by nearly half a second from Sainz. Liam Lawson secured a surprise third for Racing Bulls—his career-best qualifying—while Antonelli edged Russell for P4.
Lando Norris could only manage P7 after scraping the wall in his final attempt, while Piastri and Leclerc were classified P9 and P10 respectively, despite both crashing out.
Full Qualifying Results – Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:41.117 |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:41.595 |
| 3 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:41.707 |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:41.717 |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:42.070 |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:42.143 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:42.239 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:42.372 |
| 9 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | No Time |
| 10 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | No Time |
2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Review
Race day in Baku was defined by heartbreak for one championship contender and redemption for another. Max Verstappen led every single lap on his way to a commanding win, while Oscar Piastri failed to make it past Turn 5 on the opening lap.
From pole, Verstappen held off Carlos Sainz into the first corner, while further back Piastri endured a nightmare start. Jumping the lights before activating anti-stall, the McLaren driver tumbled to last and seconds later hit the barrier at Turn 5, recording his first retirement of the season. His crash brought out the Safety Car and offered Lando Norris a golden chance to reduce the championship deficit.
As the race unfolded, Verstappen pulled clear with ease, managing his tyres to perfection while Mercedes and Williams squabbled behind. George Russell, battling illness all weekend, produced a gritty drive to second place, while Sainz delivered Williams’ first podium of 2025 after fending off Kimi Antonelli in the final laps.
Behind them, Liam Lawson starred with a career-best fifth, narrowly ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in sixth. Norris struggled to make progress and finished only seventh after a slow pit stop compromised his chances of attacking the Red Bulls. Ferrari salvaged eighth and ninth through Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while Isack Hadjar took the final point in P10.
Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto and Ollie Bearman impressed with solid midfield runs, while Alex Albon was penalized for a collision with Franco Colapinto. Fernando Alonso’s penalty for jumping the start dropped him to P15, while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll endured another difficult afternoon. Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, and Colapinto rounded out the finishers, with Piastri the lone retirement.
Final Classification
FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2025 – RACE RESULT
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:33:26.408 | 25 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +14.609s | 18 |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +19.199s | 15 |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +21.760s | 12 |
| 5 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +33.290s | 10 |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +33.808s | 8 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +34.227s | 6 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +36.310s | 4 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +36.774s | 2 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +38.982s | 1 |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +67.606s | 0 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +68.262s | 0 |
| 13 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +72.870s | 0 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +77.580s | 0 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +78.707s | 0 |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +80.237s | 0 |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +96.392s | 0 |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | DNF | 0 |
Conclusion
"On fire" in the Land of Fire…
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 21, 2025
No one could hold a flame to Max Verstappen all weekend 👊#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/erzXBsvb1M
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a weekend of contrasts. Verstappen was untouchable, delivering back-to-back wins and reducing his championship deficit to Oscar Piastri, who endured a nightmare in Baku with his first DNF of the season. George Russell’s resilience was rewarded with second, and Carlos Sainz’s podium was a milestone moment for Williams.
For McLaren, the race was a reminder that even in a dominant season, mistakes and misfortune can quickly change the championship landscape. The fight at the top is far from over as Formula 1 now heads to the night lights of Marina Bay for the Singapore Grand Prix (October 3–5, 2025).
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Sources
- Verstappen denies Sainz shock pole as Piastri crashes in drama-filled Baku Qualifying
- FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2025 – Qualifying Results
- Verstappen claims dominant Azerbaijan win over Russell and Sainz after Piastri crashes out
- FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2025 – Race Result
