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Max Verstappen tops final practice at Azerbaijan GP

News›Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026

Max Verstappen tops final practice at Azerbaijan GP

f1oversteer.com+ 2 moreFri 25 Sep · 09:37 UTCHave your say

Image via f1oversteer.com

The story so farNeutral summary generated from 3 sources

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing secured the fastest time in the final practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, ending George Russell's dominance in earlier sessions. Russell, driving for Mercedes, finished second, followed by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in third.

Full coverage · 3 articles

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2026 season · round 16 next — Bahrain Grand Prix in MalaysiaSeason overview →

Andrea Kimi Antonelli302 2

George Russell236 3

Lewis Hamilton199

Teams 1MMercedes538 2FFerrari378 3MMcLaren306

Results Azerbaijan Grand Prix 1

George Russell 2MVMax Verstappen 3

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Sepang International CircuitRace Sun 07:00 UTC

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This season's grid · championship orderAll drivers →

Andrea Kimi AntonelliMercedes 2

George RussellMercedes 3

Lewis HamiltonFerrari 4

Lando NorrisMcLaren 5CLCharles LeclercFerrari

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1MMercedes538 pts 2FFerrari378 pts 3MMcLaren306 pts 4RBRed Bull263 pts 5RTRB F1 Team83 pts 6ATAlpine F1 Team68 pts 7HTHaas F1 Team27 pts 8AAudi17 pts 9WWilliams12 pts 10AMAston Martin3 pts 11CTCadillac F1 Team0 pts

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First to report

Max Verstappen ends George Russell’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix dominance with FP3 flyerRed Bull ace Max Verstappen eclipsed Mercedes’ George Russell to set the fastest lap time in the final practice session at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand ...

f1oversteer.comFri 25 Sep · 09:37 UTCRead their report →

F1 Azerbaijan GP: Max Verstappen leads George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in final practiceRed Bull's Max Verstappen surprisingly took the fastest time in third and final practice for F1's Azerbaijan GP, pipping Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on Baku's tricky street circuit. Verstappen took command at the very end of the one-hour session as teams switched to qualifying runs, defying Mercedes' favourite status in Baku by catching a big slipstream to go ... Keep reading

Motorsport.comFri 25 Sep · 09:37 UTCRead →

Max Verstappen denies George Russell clean sweep in F1 Baku FP3Max Verstappen topped a frantic final practice at the Azerbaijan GP, snatching the fastest time late on to deny George Russell a clean sweep of practice sessions. The Red Bull driver edged out Mercedes by less than a tenth ahead of what promises to be a tight qualifying battle. Yesterday, George Russell set the pace…

Motorsport WeekFri 25 Sep · 09:43 UTCRead →

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In this story

GRGeorge RussellFollow IgnoreMVMax VerstappenFollow IgnoreCPCarlos PaceFollow IgnoreLHLewis HamiltonFollow IgnoreFFerrariFollow IgnoreMMercedesFollow IgnoreRBRed BullFollow IgnoreBCBaku City CircuitFollow Ignore

Related stories

Antonelli's Baku woes: 'Worst' weekend of seasonKimi Antonelli described the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as his 'worst' race weekend despite finishing fifth after starting from 16th on the grid. He gained 11 places during the race, but his teammate George Russell's victory reduced Antonelli's championship lead to 66 points with eight races remaining this season. Antonelli faced challenges throughout the weekend, including a hydraulic leak that disrupted his practice sessions. He acknowledged that he was not at his best during the race, opting for a conservative approach to avoid damage. Antonelli is looking to bounce back at the upcoming race in Sepang on October 4.

espn.comSat 26 Sep

Norris hits out after Baku pile-up DNF with AlpineLando Norris expressed his frustration after being taken out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to a collision caused by Franco Colapinto. Following the incident, Norris stated that there are drivers who do not belong in Formula 1, implying that Colapinto's actions were unacceptable. The crash occurred during a Safety Car restart on lap 36, leading to both Norris and Pierre Gasly retiring from the race. Colapinto acknowledged his mistake and accepted responsibility, apologising to his team and teammates. He received a 10-second time penalty, which will affect his grid position in the next race. Gasly, visibly upset, highlighted the significant points lost due to the incident, while also emphasising the importance of respect in their working relationship.

espn.comSat 26 Sep

Alpine's Flavio Briatore rips into Franco Colapinto's Baku blunder: "A very poor move"Flavio Briatore, the Alpine Formula 1 chief, expressed his disappointment with Franco Colapinto after the latter crashed into his teammate Pierre Gasly during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The incident occurred on lap 36 during a safety car restart, resulting in both drivers being taken out of the race and costing Alpine a potential double points finish. Lando Norris, who was also involved in the crash, called for the FIA to consider a race ban for Colapinto's careless driving. Briatore stated that such incidents should not happen, especially when both cars were in scoring positions. He acknowledged that Colapinto has accepted responsibility for the crash and described it as a significant mistake for a driver of his experience. Briatore is now contemplating the next steps to ensure that similar situations do not occur in the future, as Alpine aims to learn from this setback.

Motorsport.comSat 26 Sep

Hadjar hails ‘first proper podium’ with P3 in BakuIsack Hadjar made a successful return from injury by finishing third in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, marking his first podium earned on pure pace. After missing several races due to a wrist injury, he gradually built his speed throughout practice and qualified fourth before racing to the podium. Hadjar expressed his joy at the achievement, stating that it felt like a proper podium after a challenging six weeks. He noted that his wrist held up well during the race and is looking forward to the upcoming busy schedule in the 2026 season.

Formula1.comSat 26 Sep

Kimi Antonelli "driving like my grandmother" in Baku F1 raceKimi Antonelli finished fifth in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after starting from 16th place due to a crash in qualifying. His cautious driving style, which he likened to that of his grandmother, allowed him to navigate through the field while avoiding major incidents, including a crash involving Franco Colapinto. Despite sustaining damage from contact with Haas driver Oliver Bearman, Antonelli managed to limit his points loss to teammate George Russell. He now holds a 66-point lead in the championship standings as the series moves on to Malaysia.

Motorsport.comSat 26 Sep

6

MV

Max VerstappenRed Bull

Oscar PiastriMcLaren

Isack HadjarRed Bull

Liam LawsonRB F1 Team

Pierre GaslyAlpine F1 Team

11ALArvid LindbladRB F1 Team

Franco ColapintoAlpine F1 Team

Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team

Gabriel BortoletoAudi

Nico HülkenbergAudi

Esteban OconHaas F1 Team

17CSCarlos SainzWilliams

Alexander AlbonWilliams

Fernando AlonsoAston Martin

Yuki TsunodaRB F1 Team

Lance StrollAston Martin

Valtteri BottasCadillac F1 Team

23SPSergio PérezCadillac F1 Team

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