Azerbaijan GP Sets Unwanted F1 Record in Qualifying That Could Impact Title Race

Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will go down in the history books, but not for a good thing.

On Saturday afternoon, the Formula One grid lined up at the Baku City Circuit to compete in the qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

With just eight races left in the 2025 season, tensions are higher than ever as McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris compete for the title.

Having claimed an unlikely win at the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago, Baku also offers reigning champion Max Verstappen the opportunity to make a late charge to retain his title for the fifth year in a row.

And if Sunday's race is anything like qualifying, then F1 fans are in for a treat as Saturday's on-track action set a new record that could end up playing a huge role in the title race.

The Baku City Circuit will host the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. (Image: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Shortly after the beginning of the first qualifying session on Saturday, Williams driver Alex Albon got off to a disastrous start as he hit the inside apex at Turn One, causing the first of red flag stoppages in the first session.

Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg caused the second red flag of Q1, by crashing at Turn Four, before mistakes from Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto led to the latter crashing and causing the third red flag of qualifying so far.

But the chaos didn't stop there, as rookie Haas driver Oliver Bearman brought another red flag when he oversteered into the wall on the exit of Turn Two shortly after the start of the the second session.

Thankfully, the remainder of the second session ran relatively smoothly, despite Lewis Hamilton continuing his disappointing form at Ferrari as he failed to make it to the final qualifying session, meaning he will start Sunday's race in 12th.

As the fifth red flag was brought out as Hamilton's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc ran into the wall in wet conditions, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix equalled the record for stoppages set at both the 2022 Emilia-Romagna and 2024 Sao Paulo Grands Prix.

However, moments later the qualifying session took the record for itself as championship leader Oscar Piastri misjudged his speed at Turn Three, hitting into the wall, potentially causing a major stir-up in the title race.

(Image: Joe Portlock/Getty Images)

Piastri's crash means that he will start Sunday's race in 9th, handing his title rivals the perfect opportunity to capitalise on his mistake and gain some ground on him in the race for the championship.

Thankfully for the Australian, teammate and title rival Norris also had a disappointing end to the session as brief contact with the wall means that he will start the race just two places ahead of Piastri in seventh.

But McLaren's mistakes paved the way for Verstappen, who claimed pole position in his final lap of the session with a time of 1:41.117.

Although it remains unlikely that the Dutchman will be able to bridge the 94 point gap between him and Piastri between now and the season finishing in Abu Dhabi, the result gives him a chance to at least keep himself in the running.

Verstappen will start Sunday's race in first ahead of Williams' Carlos Sainz and former Red Bull teammate Liam Lawson.