In Pictures: Azerbaijan 2025
The European leg of the Formula 1 season came to an end, and the sport bid farewell to the Old Continent as it moved into the final third of the championship, starting in Baku, the City of Winds. Azerbaijan’s capital, the largest urban center on the Caspian Sea and across the Caucasus region, once again played host to a Grand Prix. The city has welcomed Formula 1 every year since 2016, with the exception of 2020. Curiously, that debut year it was run under the title of the European Grand Prix, even though Azerbaijan is geographically in Asia.
THE TRACK
The Baku City Circuit measured 6.003 kilometers, threading its way through both the historic old town and the modern side of the capital. With 20 corners, many of them sharp 90-degree turns, the track once again tested drivers to their limits. The long main straight proved wide enough for three cars abreast, while the medieval walls at Turn 8 marked the narrowest section, just seven meters across.
As expected on a street circuit, the margin for error was almost nonexistent. Even the smallest mistake came at a heavy price, and the Safety Car made its presence felt across the weekend.
Baku also reaffirmed its reputation as a place of extremes. The unofficial fastest top speed ever recorded in Formula 1 still belongs here when Valtteri Bottas reached 378 km/h in qualifying back in 2016. Yet some of the tightest sections slowed cars to barely 60 km/h. This contrast once more forced engineers into a difficult balancing act, aiming for the best compromise between low-drag speed and high-downforce stability.
FRIDAY
Red defined the opening day of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, thanks to the Ferrari pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who proved to be the fastest men on track. Hamilton topped the timesheets in FP2 with a 1:41.293, already quicker than last year’s pole time of 1:41.365 set by Leclerc. The Monegasque was close behind, missing his teammate’s mark by just two thousandths of a second.
Third fastest on Friday was George Russell with a 1:41.770, only nine thousandths ahead of his Mercedes teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
SATURDAY
The third free practice session took place on a track in noticeably worse condition than Friday, affected by overnight rain and, more significantly, by strong winds that blew dust and debris across the surface. As the hour went on, grip gradually improved.
Qualifying unfolded in much cooler conditions than FP3, with track temperature dropping by nearly 10°C, from 35 down to 24. Occasional drizzle and gusts of wind added to the challenge, slowing lap times to the point that pole was only marginally quicker than the best time from FP2 the previous day.
What followed was a marathon session, stoppages for a record number of red flags, a scattering of yellows, and even a few drops of rain made it seem endless. In the end, Max Verstappen prevailed, taking his very first pole position at Baku with a 1:41.117, just edging past the 1:41.595 set moments earlier by Williams driver Carlos Sainz. It marked Verstappen’s sixth pole of the season, the 46th of his career, and Red Bull Racing’s first at this circuit, its 109th overall.
Sainz had briefly held provisional pole after posting the quickest lap in Q3 just as light rain began to fall. When the session was halted by the final red flag with only a few minutes remaining, he could only hope the weather would lock in his time, but in the end he had to settle for second on the grid.
SUNDAY
Max Verstappen delivered a flawless performance in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Starting from pole, the Red Bull driver led all 51 laps, set the fastest lap of the race, and claimed victory, securing his sixth career Grand Slam. In doing so, he became the first driver in history to achieve a Grand Slam in five consecutive seasons. That tally puts him level with Lewis Hamilton in second place on the all-time list, behind Jim Clark with eight. This was Verstappen’s second win in Baku, adding to his 2022 triumph, his fourth victory of the season, and the 67th of his career. For Red Bull Racing, it was win number 126 and the team’s fifth at this circuit.
George Russell brought his Mercedes home in second, earning the 22nd podium finish of his career and his sixth this season. Carlos Sainz completed the podium in third, marking his first top-three result with Williams. For the English team, it was a long-awaited return to the podium, their first since the rain-shortened 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
From Ferrari’s early pace on Friday to a chaotic qualifying on Saturday and Verstappen’s historic Grand Slam on Sunday, the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix once again delivered the drama, unpredictability, and spectacle that have become hallmarks of racing in Baku.
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Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and official Formula 1 Team Press Offices. All images are credited to their respective copyright holders and used for editorial purposes only.
