Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position in the streets of Baku after a 2-hour-long qualifying session. The 2025 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying set the record for the most red flags (6) in a qualifying session. The long qualifying session had an impact on drivers, especially the McLarens and Ferrari drivers. Both teams were looking promising this weekend, but mistakes in the session meant they didn’t get the best result.

The real icing on the cake in the session was that not only were there crashes, but also a few changes in the weather that impacted the results. The drivers who benefited from this were Sainz and Lawson, starting in 2^nd and 3^rd in tomorrow’s race. But the happiest of them all will be Verstappen leading the drivers from the start tomorrow. However, it is important to note that drivers who start on pole don’t always end up winning in Baku. Let’s look into how things panned out in the 2025 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying.

Multiple Red Flags in Q1

The Baku street circuit is infamous for crashes and multiple stoppages in qualifying, and the chaos started from Q1. Alex Albon bought out he first red flag as he hit the wall going into the first corner of a lap to bring out the red flag. The Williams car looked quite competitive in practice sessions, and they looked like they’d easily get to Q3. However, he qualified in the last row for the race.

Nico Hulkenberg was the second driver to bring out the red flag after he clipped the wall face-first. However, he was lucky and the team managed to fix his car to get back into the session. But the veteran couldn’t get through and will start in 17th place.

Franco Colapinto bought out the third and final red flag of the session as he crashed into the wall just a few seconds before the session was over. It can be said that he was distracted by Gasly, who went down the escape route just as Colapinto was coming to the corner. Both the Alpines were eliminated in this session. The only driver who was knocked out without an incident was Esteban Ocon in the Haas.

Hamilton out in Q2 of the Baku GP

The second part of the Azerbaijan GP Qualifying saw an early red flag. Oliver Bearman hit the walls in the first few minutes, pushing him out of the session.

Lewis Hamilton had a surprise elimination in the second part of qualifying. The Ferrari, especially the Hamilton, looked impressive in practice. This is the fifth time in the 2025 F1 season that he couldn’t get into Q3. 

The Aston Martin cars were also not able to get out of the second part of qualifying. This was a weekend they were going to struggle, but with other cars having crashed out, they had a satisfactory showing in the qualifying session. Gabriel Bortoleto was the other driver out of the session after out qualifying his teammate once again this season.

Verstappen Claimed His Maiden Pole as Piastri and Leclerc Crash Out in Q3

The red flags continued in Q3 as Charles Leclerc went into the barriers at the start of the session. Leclerc was looking to get 5 consecutive poles in Baku couldn’t keep the car on the track. The next driver to meet the barrier was the World Championship leader, Oscar Piastri. The Aussie has made little to no errors this year, but he also made a rare error and crashed out in the barriers. This was a perfect opportunity for Norris to claim the pole and reduce the gap further after the Italian GP. However, Norris again crumbled under pressure and nearly crashed into the wall, but got lucky and will start 7^th in the race.

In all this chaos, Max Verstappen once again reigned supreme. Similar to his past heroics in qualifying, he pulled out an impressive lap, even in damp track conditions. This is something that only Verstappen could pull out. The Williams team will also be very happy with Sainz starting in 2^nd ahead of Liam Lawson. Both the drivers haven’t had the best season, with their teammates outshining them, but this could be a silver lining for their season.

Tentative Starting Grid for 2025 Azerbaijan GP

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
3. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
6. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
7. Lando Norris (McLaren)  
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
10. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
16. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
18. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
19. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
20. Alex Albon (Williams)