F1 Azerbaijan GP live updates: Follow latest from Qualifying and FP3 in Baku today, tell me about this news in (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/f1-azerbaijan-live-updates-qualifying-fp3-times-results/yQHtKpborKe8/)
25-09-2026
The Athletic’s live coverage of Saturday’s action at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Bakucovering Free Practice 3 and Qualifyingfocused on several major developments:
Leclerc Claims Baku Pole for a Fourth Straight Year Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc delivered a standout lap of 1:41.365 in Q3 to secure pole position at the Baku City Circuit for the fourth consecutive season. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured second place on the front row, finishing just over three-tenths behind Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz took third in the second Ferrari.
Shock Q1 Elimination for Lando Norris The biggest upset of the session was championship contender Lando Norris failing to advance out of Q1. On his final flying lap, Norris encountered a yellow flag triggered by Esteban Ocon’s punctured Alpine, forcing him to back off and leaving him stranded in 17th on the grida major blow to his title chase against Max Verstappen.
Pérez Out-Qualifies Verstappen Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, historically strong on the Baku street circuit, qualified in fourth place, outpacing teammate Max Verstappen for the first time in 2024. Verstappen struggled with balance and curb-riding issues during his final Q3 attempt, ultimately qualifying sixth behind Mercedes’ George Russell in fifth.
Williams Impresses Despite Pit Lane Drama Williams enjoyed a strong qualifying showing with both cars reaching Q3. Rookie Franco Colapinto delivered an impressive performance in just his second Formula 1 weekend, qualifying ninth to become the first Argentine driver in 42 years to start in the top 10. His teammate Alex Albon qualified 10th after a bizarre mishap where mechanics inadvertently left a large airbox cooling fan attached to his car as he exited the pit lane, requiring him to stop and manually discard it before running out of time to set a final lap.
FP3 Highlights Earlier in the day, the third practice session featured unpredictable track evolution following light rain, with George Russell setting the fastest time for Mercedes and Haas stand-in Oliver Bearman bringing out a red flag after sliding into the barriers at Turn 1.