Verstappen Snatches Baku Pole in Chaotic Six-Red-Flag Qualifying
What a qualifying session we had in Baku! The Azerbaijan Grand Prix produced one of the most dramatic and chaotic Saturday showdowns in recent Formula 1 history, with no fewer than six red flags disrupting the action — an all-time record. In the end, it was Max Verstappen who held his nerve and denied Carlos Sainz what could have been a shock pole position.
The session stretched on for nearly two hours, constantly interrupted by crashes, stoppages, and even light rain. The Baku City Circuit is notorious for punishing even the smallest mistakes, but combined with gusting winds along the Caspian coast, the conditions made life extremely difficult for the drivers. Cars were sliding, bouncing off barriers, and losing grip mid-corner as the wind shifted direction. It felt less like a smooth qualifying battle and more like survival of the fittest.
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Early on, Charles Leclerc clipped the wall at Turn 15, halting proceedings. Soon after, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri dramatically found the barriers at Turn 3, bringing out another stoppage just as the top contenders were winding up their laps. Lewis Hamilton, despite showing good practice pace, couldn’t get a clean run and was eliminated in Q2, a tough blow that left him down in 12th. Rookie Ollie Bearman also had a session to forget, tagging the wall at Turn 2 and ending his run without a recorded lap.
As the tension built in Q3, Sainz briefly looked set to snatch a surprise pole for Williams, with Liam Lawson and young Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli close behind. But Verstappen, who had been quietly biding his time through the chaos, delivered when it mattered most. On tyres that weren’t even in the best condition, the Red Bull driver pulled out a stunning 1:41.117 lap. That was nearly half a second faster than Sainz, a margin that felt huge given how tight things had been earlier. Lawson impressed again with third, while Antonelli secured fourth ahead of George Russell.
Meanwhile, drivers like Lando Norris and Piastri struggled to maximize their pace. Norris’s scrappy lap left him only seventh, while Piastri’s crash had already ruined his shot at pole. Leclerc, after his own brush with the wall, was also stuck down the order.
After the dust settled, Verstappen admitted how challenging the session had been. He described the constant red flags, the shifting winds, and the tricky tyre preparation as obstacles that made it hard to find rhythm. Still, he managed to string together the lap that counted most, giving himself back-to-back poles.
So, the grid is set after a qualifying that tested nerves as much as skill. Verstappen leads the pack, Sainz right behind him, and a hungry field hoping for redemption on race day. With unpredictable weather and the unforgiving Baku walls, Sunday’s race promises to be just as wild — if not wilder — than what we witnessed in qualifying.
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