Verstappen Survives Baku Qualifying For 46th F-1 Pole

Max Verstappen (left) with the Pirelli Pole Position Award at Baku City Circuit. (Steven Tee/LAT Images for Red Bull)

BAKU CITY, Azerbaijan – In a wild Formula One qualifying session Saturday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen kept Williams’ Carlos Sainz from earning a shock pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Topping a day that included an F1 record six red-flag stoppages, Verstappen’s best lap of one minute, 41.117 seconds around the 20-turn, 3.73-mile Baku City Circuit was enough for his sixth Pirelli Pole Position Award of the season and the 46th of his career.

He’ll lead the field Sunday at lights out as the Dutchman seeks his fourth win this year and second in a row.

“I am really happy with our performance today and it was enjoyable, once I crossed the line! Of course, there were a lot of interruptions, and it was difficult to get a rhythm with the red flags throughout the whole session,” said Verstappen. “This lap is hard to nail, and it is not always easy to go on the limit. It is so easy to make a mistake [here] with such unpredictable conditions.

“I was really happy with how Q1 and Q2 were going, and I felt good every time I went out and comfortable with the car. Q3 was such a long wait and [it was] difficult to choose the medium or the soft tires [when] it was all down to the last lap,” he added. “We ended up on the soft tire for the final lap, which wasn’t my favorite and the only new tire we had. You had to commit, not fully knowing the grip levels out there. However, we nailed the lap, and it was a big achievement for us to get pole.

“For tomorrow [in the race], I was happy with the long runs over this weekend, so I am hoping that we can put in a similar positive performance.”

Early in Q3, Sainz, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar were the only drivers of the top 10 who had set official times when raindrops began falling at the circuit.

At about the same time, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc smacked the turn-15 barriers to bring out the red flag, which prevented anyone else from completing the lap they were on.

It set up drama at the first resumption, when McLaren’s Lando Norris and Verstappen were both on flying laps, but Norris’ teammate – championship leader Oscar Piastri – popped the barrier at turn three to stop the action again.

With less than four minutes remaining at that point, the stage was set for a virtual one-lap sprint to conclude qualifying, but Verstappen found enough grip to shoot to the pole and stay there.

Sainz laid down a 1:41.595 to secure a front-row starting spot, with Racing Bulls’ Lawson improving on his final lap to take third on the grid, the best qualifying run of his three-year F1 career.

The Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell line up fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda.

Norris and Hadjar ended up in row four, with Piastri and Leclerc set to line up ninth and 10th after their incidents early in Q3.

After leading practice Friday, the Ferrari of seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in round two of Saturday’s qualifying session. He’ll start 12th in the 51-lap race.

Broadcast coverage of Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix is slated for 7 a.m. ET Sunday, airing on ESPN in the United States.