Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Max Verstappen in pole, McLaren eye historic title after wild qualifying session in Baku
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Drama in Baku: Verstappen holds firm despite six red flags
The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is here, and defending champion Max Verstappen will set off in pole position after holding his nerve during a chaotic final qualifying that smashed the world record for six red flags shown during the session.
Verstappen clinched P1 for the sixth time this season with a rapid time of 1:41:117, beating Carlos Sainz by +0.478. It was the Red Bull driver’s first pole in Baku, and it was also the biggest winning margin at this venue since 2016.
However, there are plenty of surprises behind the Dutchman, perhaps none more so than Liam Lawson grabbing a stunning P3 for Racing Bulls, while joining him on the second row is Kimi Antonelli ahead of the Mercedes duo.
Champion-elect Oscar Piastri shunted at Turn 3, suffering significant damage to the right-front of his McLaren and could only manage P9, while his teammate Lando Norris was unable to take advantage and was only seventh fastest.
Yuki Tsunoda (P6), Isack Hadjar (P8), and Charles Leclerc (P10) round out the front half of the grid, setting us up for mighty battle in Baku.
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Racing |
| 3 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls F1 Team |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes F1 Team |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes F1 Team |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls F1 Team |
| 9 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren F1 Team |
| 10 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin F1 Team |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | F1 Team Sauber |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin F1 Team |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine F1 Team |
| 17 | Nico Hulkenberg | F1 Team Sauber |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine F1 Team |
| 19 | Alex Albon | Williams Racing |
| 20 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team |
How can McLaren win the Constructors’ Championship in Azerbaijan?
Despite McLaren’s underwhelming qualifying session in Baku, the Papaya team can wrap up this year’s Constructors’ Championship this weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will also confirm our F1 predictions.
McLaren have recorded seven one-two finishes over the first 16 rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 season, and their hopes of securing a second consecutive team title have been aided significantly by Ferrari failing to win a Grand Prix so far.
McLaren needs to outscore Ferrari by nine points at the Azerbaijan GP to win the 2025 Constructors’ Championship!
As it stands, four teams can still mathematically deny the Woking-based outfit he title this weekend. The Papaya team are 337 points in the lead, and if one of them wins the Azerbaijan GP and the other finishes on the podium, no other team will be able to catch them.
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 617 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 280 |
| 3 | Mercedes | 260 |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | 239 |
| 5 | Williams | 86 |
| 6 | Aston Martin | 62 |
| 7 | Racing Bulls | 61 |
| 8 | Kick Sauber | 55 |
| 9 | Haas | 44 |
| 10 | Alpine | 20 |
Azerbaijan GP: Key stats and facts
The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set to take place on September 21 at 12pm (UK time). Weather conditions for the race are promising, with temperatures expected to reach a maximum of 22°C and only a 10% chance of showers are forecast.
Circuit: Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan
Laps: 51 laps of 6km
Lap record: 1:43.009 - Charles Leclerc (2019)
Most wins: Sergio Perez (2)
Overtakes in 2024: 66
How to watch: Sky Sports (UK), ESPN (US)
