F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying delivers crashes, red flags and a wild grid

The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying was a chaotic and dramatic session, defined by a series of unfortunate events and challenging conditions. The session was heavily disrupted by a record-setting six red flags. This was largely due to drivers crashing into the barriers on the notoriously unforgiving Baku City Circuit. Strong winds made the cars unstable and light rain began to fall in the final segment of qualifying, making the track slippery and difficult to read.

Six Red Flags, Major Crashes

Alex Albon of Williams became the first driver to crash, ending his session early in Q1. Kick Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg also hit the barriers in Q1, damaging his car but managing to get back to the pits. Both Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto crashed in Q1 in separate but close-proximity incidents.

Oliver Bearman brushed his Haas to the wall in Q2, causing a red flag and ending his run. Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari into the wall in Q3 while chasing pole, ending his streak of four consecutive Baku poles. The championship leader, Oscar Piastri, also crashed in the final segment of Q3, putting him in a difficult starting position.

McLaren mismanagement

Despite Oscar Piastri's crash, his teammate and title rival Lando Norris was unable to capitalise fully. Norris clipped a wall on his final lap and felt the team's decision to send him out early after a red flag put him at a disadvantage, as the track conditions improved for later runners. Hamilton, who had shown strong pace in practice, was eliminated in Q2 and said he was on the wrong tire.

Esteban Ocon was disqualified from qualifying for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix because his Haas car failed a post-session technical inspection. The car's rear wing main plane was found to be in breach of the technical regulations. Specifically, a deflection test showed that the rear wing bent more than the allowed tolerance of 0.5mm. Measurements on Ocon's car showed a deflection of 0.6mm on the left side and 0.825mm on the right side.

In the end, amidst all the chaos, Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass in car control to secure pole position. The unpredictable and error-filled session resulted in a mixed-up grid, with Williams' Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson surprisingly claiming second and third place, respectively.

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