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24–26 Sep · Baku · Round 15

·Results

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026 predictions

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is complete. Official results and scores are on the race page.

See Baku resultsAbout the circuit
Baku time
Practice 1
Fair · 29°C · SE 10 km/hDry
Thu 12:30
Practice 2
Fair · 29°C · SE 21 km/hDry
Thu 16:00
Practice 3
Rain · 25°C · 0.1 mm · N 36 km/hWet
Fri 12:30
Qualifying
Rain · 23°C · 0.1 mm · N 32 km/hWet
Fri 16:00
Grand Prix
Clear · 25°C · NE 19 km/hDry
Sat 15:00

MET Norway · CC BY 4.0 · updated 502 hours ago

How Baku finished

The official classification, which is what picks are scored against.

Qualifying

Official Qualifying top five
PosDriver
P1
RUSGeorge Russell
P2
LECCharles Leclerc
P3
PIAOscar Piastri
P4
HADIsack Hadjar
P5
NORLando Norris

Race

Official Race top five
PosDriver
P1
RUSGeorge Russell
P2
VERMax Verstappen
P3
HADIsack Hadjar
P4
LECCharles Leclerc
P5
ANTKimi Antonelli

How players picked this weekend

Every player’s picks, as they were when each session locked.

Qualifying

12 players

Qualifying: how many players picked each driver for P1
DriverP1 picks
ANTKimi Antonelli
7
RUSGeorge RussellPole
4
VERMax Verstappen
1

Race

12 players

Race: how many players picked each driver for P1
DriverP1 picks
RUSGeorge RussellWon
8
ANTKimi Antonelli
3
LECCharles Leclerc
1

Drivers are ranked by where players put them, so a P1 pick counts for more than a P5 pick. The percentage is the share of players who had the driver anywhere in their Top 5.

Qualifying

12 players

Qualifying pick rates, in the order players collectively placed the drivers
PosDriverPicked by
P1
ANTKimi Antonelli
100%
P2
RUSGeorge RussellPole
91.7%
P3
VERMax Verstappen
100%
P4
HAMLewis Hamilton
91.7%
P5
LECCharles Leclerc
75%
P6
NORLando Norris
41.7%

Race

12 players

Race pick rates, in the order players collectively placed the drivers
PosDriverPicked by
P1
RUSGeorge RussellWon
83.3%
P2
ANTKimi Antonelli
83.3%
P3
LECCharles Leclerc
83.3%
P4
VERMax Verstappen
75%
P5
PIAOscar Piastri
41.7%
P6
HAMLewis Hamilton
66.7%
P7
NORLando Norris
41.7%
P8
HADIsack Hadjar
25%

What decided the race

Russell converted pole into the win and beat Verstappen by 0.196 seconds, with Hadjar a further 10.5 seconds back in third for a Red Bull double podium. The official race result (opens in a new tab).

Albon’s error brought out the Safety Car. On the restart Colapinto locked up and took out his Alpine team-mate Gasly and Norris, and the stewards gave him a five-place grid penalty for the next race. Read the F1 race report (opens in a new tab) and the penalty decision (opens in a new tab).

The Baku City Circuit

The grid lined up on the start/finish straight in Baku under the start lights, with city buildings behind the grandstand
The start in Baku, 2016. Photo: crossland_alan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

Baku is a street circuit of 6.003 km and 20 corners, and the Grand Prix runs for 51 laps. The cars are flat out for 2.2 km between Turn 16 and Turn 1, along the shoreline and down the start/finish straight, and then brake from around 350 km/h for the 90-degree Turn 1, where most of the overtaking happens. Formula 1’s circuit guide (opens in a new tab).

Away from the straight, the lap winds through the old town. Turns 8 to 10 run past the medieval city walls on the narrowest part of the track. Teams have to choose between downforce for the slow corners and low drag for the straight.

Qualifying in 2025 was stopped six times, a Formula 1 record, and six different drivers crashed. Autosport on the record (opens in a new tab).

Notable Baku crashes, 2016–2026

Across ten completed weekends, cars hit a wall, a barrier, another car or something on the track 60 times, not counting light brushes of the wall. Each one comes from a race report or the FIA race control log and is placed at the corner where the car stopped. Turn 15 has taken the most, 11, and Turn 3 is next on 10, taking them in groups: three in the 2021 qualifying hour alone.

Showing 60 incidents, All. Busiest corners: Turn 15, 11; Turn 3, 10; Turn 1, 8.

4621Turn 310Turn 1511
FewerMore1 to 11 per corner. The bar and arrow mark the start/finish line and the direction of the lap. Select a corner to list its incidents below.

Best known incidents

  1. 2017Race, lap 19Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton

    Vettel ran into the back of Hamilton behind the safety car, then drew alongside and swerved into him. The most-discussed incident in the circuit's history. Source

  2. 2018Race, lap 43Romain GrosjeanTurn 15

    Weaving to warm his tyres behind the safety car, he knocked a switch two positions and locked the rears under braking on the run down to Turn 15, spinning into the wall from sixth place. He was the only car to crash out of a race while not racing. Source

  3. 2019QualifyingCharles LeclercTurn 8

    Fastest in all three practice sessions, then locked up into Turn 8 in Q2 and hit the same wall Kubica had. Radioed 'I am stupid, I am stupid'. The kerbs at this corner were changed before the 2021 race. Source

The other 57 incidents, back to 2016, including 4 with no corner named
  1. 2026Race, lap 36Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly and Lando NorrisTurn 1

    At the restart, Colapinto locked up into Turn 1 and hit his Alpine team-mate Gasly, who was pushed into Norris. All three retired and the Safety Car came back out. Colapinto took a ten-second penalty. Source

  2. 2026Race, lap 36Arvid Lindblad and Liam LawsonTurn 1

    At the same restart, Lindblad hit the back of his Racing Bulls team-mate Lawson and spun him. Both carried on, and the stewards took no further action. Source

  3. 2026Race, lap 30Alexander AlbonTurn 6

    Locked up and went into the barrier, bringing out the first Safety Car. The car stopped at Turn 6. Source

  4. 2026FP2Arvid LindbladTurn 9

    Clipped the jutting Turn 9 wall in the castle section 20 minutes in, damaging the right side of the car. Source

  5. 2026FP3Lance StrollTurn 1

    Tagged the wall at Turn 1, damaging the front-left suspension, and parked the car. Source

  6. 2026QualifyingKimi AntonelliTurn 1

    Hit the inside wall at Turn 1 in Q1 and broke the front-left suspension. His Q1 time put him 16th on the grid. Source

  7. 2026RaceValtteri BottasTurn 15

    Went nose-first into the barrier at Turn 15 on the final lap, the last retirement of the race. Source

  8. 2025Race, lap 16Alexander Albon and Franco ColapintoTurn 5

    Came together with Colapinto at Turn 5 shortly after both pitted, spinning the Alpine, which recovered. Albon took a ten-second penalty and accepted blame. Source

  9. 2025Race, lap 6Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban OconTurn 6

    Collided at Turn 6 and both continued; stewards reviewed with no further action. Source: FIA race control log

  10. 2025Race, lap 1Oscar PiastriTurn 6

    Jumped the start, dropped to last, then went into the barriers on the opening lap for his first retirement of the season. The car stopped at Turn 6. Source

  11. 2025QualifyingAlexander AlbonTurn 1

    Clipped the inside wall with the front left at Turn 1 in Q1, breaking the steering rack. Source

  12. 2025QualifyingOliver BearmanTurn 2

    The rear stepped out at Turn 2 in Q2 and he struck the barrier, breaking the suspension. Source

  13. 2025QualifyingFranco ColapintoTurn 4

    Lost the front end at Turn 4 and hit the wall rear-first. Source

  14. 2025QualifyingNico HülkenbergTurn 4

    Locked up and hit the Tecpro barrier at Turn 4, breaking the front wing and inflicting heavy floor damage. Source

  15. 2025QualifyingCharles LeclercTurn 15

    Locked up under braking for Turn 15 in Q3 and hit the barrier. Source

  16. 2025QualifyingOscar PiastriTurn 3

    Missed the apex on a flying lap in Q3 and struck the barrier. Sixth red flag of the session, a Formula 1 record. Source

  17. 2024Race, lap 50Sergio Pérez and Carlos SainzTurn 3

    Contact on the straight between Turns 2 and 3 while disputing the podium on the penultimate lap; both hit the barrier and retired. Stewards found neither predominantly to blame. Shown at Turn 3, where the cars stopped. Source

  18. 2024Race, lap 1Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll

    Took a hole in the sidepod in first-lap contact with Stroll, ran on with no performance and retired on lap 14, the race's first retirement. No report names the corner, so it isn't on the map. Source

  19. 2024FP1Franco ColapintoTurn 4

    Crashed into the barriers at Turn 4 on his first Baku weekend. Source

  20. 2024FP1Charles LeclercTurn 15

    Crashed at Turn 15. Source

  21. 2024FP3Oliver BearmanTurn 1

    Overcooked the braking into Turn 1 and hit the wall side-on, damaging the front left. Source

  22. 2024FP3Max VerstappenTurn 15

    Locked up into Turn 15 and slid into the barriers, bringing out a red flag. Source

  23. 2023Race, lap 10Nyck de VriesTurn 6

    Clipped the inside wall at Turn 5 and came to a stop at Turn 6. Safety car. Source

  24. 2023Sprint, lap 3Yuki TsunodaTurn 13

    Hit the wall at Turn 13, stripping the rear-left tyre off the car. Retired with suspension damage. Source

  25. 2023QualifyingNyck de VriesTurn 3

    Locked up at Turn 3 and crashed into the wall, damaging the suspension. First red flag. Source

  26. 2023QualifyingPierre GaslyTurn 3

    Hit the wall at the same corner, bringing the second red flag. Source

  27. 2023Sprint QualifyingLogan SargeantTurn 15

    Hit the wall rear-first at Turn 15, damaging suspension and rear wing, and withdrew from the sprint. Baku's only sprint weekend to date. Source

  28. 2022QualifyingLance StrollTurn 2

    Hit the barrier hard at Turn 2, minutes after a low-speed touch at Turn 7, breaking the front wing and suspension. Red flag. Source

  29. 2021Race, lap 46Max VerstappenTurn 20

    Left-rear tyre failure on the main straight while leading with five laps to go. Red flag. Shown at Turn 20, the corner before the straight. Source

  30. 2021Race, lap 30Lance StrollTurn 20

    Left-rear tyre failure exiting Turn 20 onto the main straight, into the barriers. Safety car. Source

  31. 2021FP2Charles LeclercTurn 15

    Locked up heavily into Turn 15 and hit the barrier, tearing off the front wing and bringing out a Virtual Safety Car. Pitted for a new nose and finished the session fourth. Source

  32. 2021QualifyingAntonio GiovinazziTurn 15

    Repeated Stroll's error at the same corner minutes later, misjudging the kerb. Source

  33. 2021QualifyingDaniel RicciardoTurn 3

    Carried too much speed into Turn 3 in Q2. Source

  34. 2021QualifyingCarlos SainzTurn 3

    Following Tsunoda, was distracted by the crash ahead and lost the Ferrari into the same corner seconds later. Ended qualifying and handed Leclerc pole. Source

  35. 2021QualifyingLance StrollTurn 15

    Clipped the wall at Turn 15 minutes into Q1, bringing the first of four red flags. Source

  36. 2021QualifyingYuki TsunodaTurn 3

    Braked too late on his first Q3 run, locked up and hit the wall at Turn 3. Source

  37. 2019Race, lap 33Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil KvyatTurn 3

    Ricciardo locked up attempting a move on Kvyat at Turn 3 and went down the escape road; both retired with collision damage. Source

  38. 2019FP1George RussellTurn 2

    Destroyed the car on a loose drain cover between Turns 2 and 3, loosened moments earlier by Leclerc's Ferrari. The session was cancelled and the chassis replaced. Source

  39. 2019FP2Daniil KvyatTurn 7

    Crashed at Turn 7 with 25 minutes to go. Source

  40. 2019FP2Lance StrollTurn 2

    Crashed at Turn 2 fifteen minutes into the session. Source

  41. 2019QualifyingRobert KubicaTurn 8

    Crashed into the Turn 8 wall, ending Q1. Source

  42. 2018Race, lap 40Max Verstappen and Daniel RicciardoTurn 1

    Ricciardo went for the inside at Turn 1 on lap 40 after being overcut; Verstappen moved late in the braking zone and Ricciardo hit the back of him. Both retired, both were reprimanded, and both were made to apologise to the team. Source

  43. 2018Race, lap 11Nico HülkenbergTurn 4

    Put the rear of the car into the wall at Turn 4 and retired. Source

  44. 2018Race, lap 1Sergio Pérez and Kimi RäikkönenTurn 2

    Perez struck Raikkonen's rear at Turn 2 under the safety car. Source

  45. 2018Race, lap 1Kimi Räikkönen and Esteban OconTurn 2

    Made contact at Turn 2 during the standing start sequence. Source

  46. 2018Race, lap 1Kimi Räikkönen and Esteban OconTurn 3

    Collided a second time at Turn 3, with damage sufficient to force Ocon's immediate retirement. Source

  47. 2018Race, lap 1Sergey Sirotkin, Fernando Alonso and Nico HülkenbergTurn 2

    Sirotkin collided with Alonso and Hülkenberg on the straight after Turn 2, double-puncturing Alonso. Safety car deployed. Source

  48. 2017Race, lap 25Nico HülkenbergTurn 7

    Clipped the inside of Turn 7 while running fifth and broke the front-right suspension, retiring on lap 25. Source

  49. 2017Race, lap 20Esteban Ocon and Sergio Pérez

    Force India team-mates collided and left debris across the track. Pérez retired with front wing and wishbone damage. Source

  50. 2017Race, lap 1Valtteri Bottas and Kimi RäikkönenTurn 3

    Collided at Turn 3 on the opening lap, puncturing Bottas's front right. Source

  51. 2017FP2Max VerstappenTurn 1

    Crashed heavily into the barriers at Turn 1 in the closing stages of FP2. Source

  52. 2017QualifyingDaniel RicciardoTurn 6

    Slid into the wall at the exit of Turn 6 with 3m33s left in Q3, bringing a red flag, and started tenth. He won the race from there. Source

  53. 2017RaceMarcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein

    Sauber team-mates collided fighting for tenth, both continued. Source

  54. 2016Race, lap 1Esteban Gutiérrez and Nico Hülkenberg

    Damaged his front wing against Hülkenberg's rear on the opening lap. No report names the corner, so it isn't on the map. Source

  55. 2016FP1Daniel RicciardoTurn 15

    Crashed at the exit of Turn 15 and lost a rear wheel, bringing an 11-minute red flag. Source

  56. 2016FP3Sergio PérezTurn 15

    Lost the rear at Turn 15 at the end of the session, in what Formula 1 called a near carbon copy of Ricciardo's crash there on Friday. The gearbox change earned him a five-place grid penalty. Source

  57. 2016QualifyingLewis HamiltonTurn 11

    Crashed in Q3 after taking the escape road at Turn 15 in both earlier segments, breaking the front suspension and bringing a red flag. Started tenth. Source

Baku gets the softest three tyres

  • C1

    Not used at Baku

  • C2

    Not used at Baku

  • C3

    Hard

  • C4

    Medium

  • C5

    Soft

Lasts longerMore grip
Sebastian Vettel’s red Ferrari seen from behind on the track in Baku, with Pirelli tyres on its rear wheels
Baku, 2019. Photo: Jens Van Hecke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

Degradation was low in 2025, and Verstappen won with a single stop from hard to medium after an early Safety Car. What the teams said after the 2025 race (opens in a new tab).

Common questions

Why is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on a Saturday?

Formula 1 and the FIA moved the race from Sunday 27 September to Saturday 26 September to avoid Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day. Every session moved one day earlier, so practice starts on Thursday and qualifying is on Friday.

When is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

The weekend runs from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September 2026 in Baku. Qualifying starts at 16:00 Baku time on Friday and the 51-lap Grand Prix starts at 15:00 on Saturday.

Is Baku a street circuit?

Yes. The 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit uses public roads, including the narrow section through the old city and the long flat-out run to Turn 1.

Next round

Round 18 is the United States Grand Prix. Read the Austin predictions.

Baku results

The race page has every session’s result and the team-mate battles.

See where players stand on the leaderboard, or make picks for this weekend.

See results

Schedule and circuit: Formula 1 (opens in a new tab). Saturday change: Formula 1 (opens in a new tab). Tyres: Pirelli (opens in a new tab). 2025 form: Formula 1 (opens in a new tab) and Formula 1 (opens in a new tab). 2025 qualifying: Autosport (opens in a new tab).

Team kit and caps are on the F1 Store (opens in a new tab). We earn a commission on purchases made through this link.

Last reviewed 28 Sept 2026

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