20/09/2025
NEWS STORY
Ahead of Q1 the air temperature is 21 degrees C, while the track temperature is 28 degrees. It remains bright, sunny and very windy.
Remember that Comedy series Soap from the late 70s and early 80s?
Each episode would begin with a round up of the numerous totally implausible plots hanging over from the previous week, followed by the words... "confused, you will be", and as we head into qualifying, and then the race, we cannot help but notice the similarities.
In almost every session the pecking order has appeared to change, the form differing from team to team, driver to driver. Following his clash with the barriers yesterday afternoon Norris was quickest this morning. However, Verstappen is very much in the mix, as Hamilton, though in all honesty, based on experience and what we've witnessed thus far this weekend anything can happen.
Like Monaco, Baku bits back and even the smallest of mistakes will be punished. One of Leclerc's quickest lap this morning would have been disallowed this afternoon because he exceeded track limits, while a number of drivers, including Piastri, appeared to be pushing that little bit too hard.
And as if that wasn't enough there were a few spots of rain during the F2 race, with the threat of more over the next hour.
While we expect to see one of the usual suspects on pole, we expect to see a few big names fall by the wayside while a few of those further down the order spring a shock or two.
Ahead of the green light, and with an eye on the weather, there is a queue in the pitlane.
First out is Albon, followed by Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Bearman and Ocon.
Piastri is still in his garage with his front wing yet to be fitted.
Albon posts a benchmark 43.778 however Bearman responds with a 43.122.
Hulkenberg brushes the barrier at Turn 15, leaving a cloud of dust.
Lawson goes top and Sainz second, as Leclerc goes quickest in S1.
Tsunoda goes third, ahead of Alonso, but both are demoted when Leclerc crosses the line at 41.982. Teammate Hamilton goes sixth.
A 42.407 puts Norris second, as Albon has stopped just after Turn 2.
As Verstappen goes second with a 42.210 the session is red-flagged.
Albon has clouted the inside wall at Turn 1. "I'm out, sorry," he reports.
Piastri is also sorry for the Australian was on a hot lap when the session was red-flagged.
As he heads back to the pits Bearman reports that he has a "branch" on his car, having been blown by the wind.
Antonelli has been noted for a yellow flag infringement.
The session resumes and Gasly leads the way, followed by Alonso, Stroll, Russell and Antonelli.
As more drivers head out it's a pretty even mix of mediums and softs.
Gasly improves to eleventh, but is demoted when Alonso goes ninth.
Antonelli remains tenth after aborting his lap, having suffered a couple of snaps. "What happened in the last corner?" he asks. "Tail-wind gust," he is told.
Hamilton (41.821) goes quickest and Piastri second (41.839) as the session is red-flagged yet again. This time it is Hulkenberg who has come to grief, in Turn 4. The German heads back to the pits, minus his front wing.
Ahead of the restart, Stroll, Albon, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg and Antonelli, who has yet to post a time, comprise the drop zone, with Ocon, Hadjar, Gasly and Bearman hovering.
"You have tonnes of time," Toto Wolff assures Antonelli. "Six and a half minutes."
Sainz is first out when the session resumes, followed by Bearman, Ocon, Lawson and Hadjar.
Sainz fails to improve on eighth, while Leclerc goes quickest in S1.
Bearman goes twelfth and Ocon fifteenth.
Lawson goes seventh as Russell goes top with a 41.646.
No sooner has Leclerc gone quickest than Norris goes quicker (41.322) and Antonelli seventh.
A 41.331 puts Verstappen second.
Ocon goes fourteenth, Tsunoda eighth and Hadjar fifth (41.656).
Bortoleto goes twelfth, Alonso ninth and Stroll eighth.
Gasly is off at Turn 4, with teammate Colapinto hitting the wall moments later and causing another red flag. The session will not resume.
Understandably, in the Alpine garage, Flavio Briatore is not impressed. Ironically, Colapinto crashed at exactly the same spot as he did last year, albeit in a Williams.
"A bit of a rookie error let's say," admits Albon. "I think I was first out and I was the first car through Turn 1. I had absolutely no grip and when I came through a lap later I had loads of grip.
"A silly error," he adds, "and a shame as we have been top eight all weekend. Frustrating, I wish I had a restart button."
Norris is quickest, ahead of Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, Hadjar, Hamilton, Piastri, Stroll, Alonso and Antonelli.
We lose Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly and Albon.
Sainz is first out for Q2, followed b y Bearman, Hadjar, Lawson and Alonso.
Again, as more drivers emerge, it's a mixture of mediums and softs.
On his out lap Hadjar takes to the escape road at Turn 4.
At the start of his flying lap, Bearman clouts the wall at Turn 2. "It's broken," he reports. "Sorry guys, so stupid."
A yellow flag is quickly followed by a red as the Briton jumps out of his stranded car.
Leclerc gets things underway again, followed by Hamilton, Bortoleto, Sainz and Hadjar.
As he begins a flyer Leclerc makes a mistake in Turn 1, the subsequent yellow causing problems for his teammate behind.
Bortoleto posts a benchmark 43.214 but this is immediately eclipsed by Hadjar, Lawson and then Sainz (41.675).
Norris goes top with a 41.396, teammate Piastri going second with a 41.636.
Russell and then Antonelli split the McLarens to go second and third.
Hamilton can only manage eighth (42.824), while another mistake means his teammate fails to post a time.
Verstappen goes second with a 41.446, 0.050s off Norris' pace.
As Tsunoda goes ninth, Piastri brushes the barriers and Leclerc pits for fresh rubber following yet another mistake.
Hamilton ditches the mediums for softs, while Leclerc sticks with the yellow-banded rubber.
Hamilton fails to improve on tenth, while his teammate goes quickest in S2.
Alonso goes eighth (41.857), and as Leclerc goes fourth it means Hamilton is out.
Piastri goes second, Tsunoda eleventh and Antonelli fifth.
Hadjar goes seventh as Hamilton pits, the Briton resigned to his fate.
Though safe, Verstappen goes quickest in S2, crossing the line at 41.255 to go top. Teammate Tsunoda makes it by the skin of his teeth which is bad news for Alonso.
"Oh my God, what the **** was that," cries Stroll, clearly caught out by a gust of wind.
Quickest is Verstappen, ahead of Norris, Piastri, Russell, Antonelli, Leclerc, Lawson, Hadjar, Sainz and Tsunoda.
We lose Alonso, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Stroll and Bearman.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Baku here.
Lawson is first out for Q3, followed by Sainz, Hadjar, Russell and Norris.
The RB pair are on softs while the rest are on mediums. Russell, Verstappen, Piastri and Leclerc on fresh rubber.
Russell is off at Turn 4 bringing out the yellows.
"It's raining," reports Verstappen, Lawson having previously said that the track is slippery.
Sainz posts a 41.595, and as Lawson goes second and Hadjar third, the session is red-flagged as Leclerc goes off and into the wall at Turn 15.
Replay shows the Ferrari carrying too much speed and basically going straight off into the barrier opposite.
"The track is so slippery, the white lines are like ice," reports Antonelli.
"You can start dancing to see if it rains a bit more," laughs provisional pole-man Sainz.
The clock is stopped with 7:07 remaining.
Oh dear, Antonelli has been noted for a red flag infringement. "Too late, too late," he admits.
The rain, such as it was, appears to have stopped and the sun is shining.
"I'm so disappointed," admits Hamilton. "Yesterday the car was feeling good, today there was a direction that we ended up going that on paper looked a good place to be... but we didn't have the right tyre underneath us, everyone ahead of us had a new tyre on."
The session resumes and Verstappen leads the way, followed by Sainz, Lawson, Hadjar and Norris.
Verstappen is on mediums, as Russell and Antonelli, both McLarens on fresh softs.
Last out is Tsunoda who is on fresh softs.
As Norris goes quickest in S1, and Verstappen completes his second sector, Piastri is in the wall at Turn 3.
The session is red-flagged yet again, the sixth of the session and an unwanted record.
Replay show he carried too much speed and basically failed to turn the corner, heading straight into the barrier, taking off the front-right corner in the process. A rare mistake from the Australian.
With 3:41 remaining, Sainz is still on provisional pole, ahead of Lawson and Hadjar.
Verstappen has been noted for a red flag infringement, having passed the pitlane entrance as the session was stopped.
"I felt the car was in a good place, so a disappointing end," says Piastri. "The first two corners were really good so I don't know if I just tried too much or if the rain was around. Ultimately I need to go have a look, ultimately just tried a little bit too hard.
"I think the win is ambitious," he admits, "but let's see how qualifying shakes out first."
The session resumes and Norris is first out, followed by Russell, Sainz, Lawson and Antonelli. Sainz on mediums as is Antonelli, the rest on softs. Fresh rubber for Verstappen and Russell.
"Russell overtook me in the pitlane," reports Sainz.
On board with Norris and there are spots of rain on his visor.
Norris brushes the wall but it is Verstappen who is going quickest.
Norris goes second with a 42.239, but Russell responds with a 42.070.
Lawson goes second and Antonelli third as Verstappen crosses the line at 41.117 to take pole.
Tsunoda goes sixth, ahead of Norris, as Hadjar claims eighth.
So, Verstappen is on pole, ahead of Sainz, Lawson, Antonelli, Russell, Tsunoda, Norris, Hadjar, Piastri and Leclerc.
Alonso is eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Bortoleto, Stroll, Bearman, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly and Albon.
"I can't even remember what happened, it was so busy," admits Lawson. "I didn't expect it to be like that honestly.
"The car has been good all weekend, so massive thanks to the team," he adds.
"You can see the rain on your visor but the tyres are warm so you have grip, so you try to fight your brain and keep pushing.
"We have a great starting position, but we are aware of who we are fighting tomorrow."
"Very happy!" grins Sainz. "We nailed qualifying today, always on the right tyre at the right time and some very good laps. We are P2, it is great news.
"The plan for tomorrow? Try and stick it on the podium. I am going to try my best to give Williams a first podium."
"A long Qualifying to be honest," adds Verstappen, "so many red flags
"It's hard to get your tyres in condition with so many stoppages," he admits. "The last lap you just have to send it, I wasn't even on the best tyres, with the red flags you run out of tyres.
"We definitely were in there for pole, but I'm just happy as since Monza we are doing a better job."
Well, we started off comparing proceedings to the TV comedy Soap, and now, two hours and six red flags later, we stand by it.
Indeed, we expect another episode tomorrow.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Baku here.