A Thursday-Saturday Weekend: Why Baku Runs a Day Early
Azerbaijan marks Remembrance Day on Sunday 27 September, which has forced Formula 1 into an unusual Thursday-to-Saturday schedule, believed to be the only one of the entire season. Practice got under way on Thursday 24 September, with FP1 at 12:30pm local time (9:30am BST) and FP2 at 4:00pm AZT (1:00pm BST). FP3 and qualifying follow on Friday 25 September, before the race itself on Saturday 26 September at 3:00pm AZT, which is a 12:00pm BST start for UK viewers.
It is a quirk that could have real championship consequences. Teams have less time to analyse data, less time to react to problems, and drivers have to find their rhythm a day earlier than usual. On a circuit as unforgiving as Baku, that matters.
This weekend also marks 10 years since F1 first raced in Azerbaijan. The circuit joined the calendar as the European Grand Prix in 2016 before becoming the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017, and in that decade it has built a reputation as one of the most unpredictable venues on the schedule.
Qualifying Report: Russell Dominant, Antonelli in the Wall
Russell’s pole lap was emphatic. He beat Charles Leclerc by more than eight tenths of a second, a margin that underlines just how hooked up the Mercedes was around Baku’s mix of long straights and tight walls. Oscar Piastri qualified third for McLaren, with Isack Hadjar an impressive fourth on his return and Lando Norris fifth in the second McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton will line up sixth, ahead of Pierre Gasly, while Max Verstappen could only manage eighth after struggling with a suspected energy deployment problem. For Red Bull, that is a significant concern given how much Baku rewards straightline performance and efficient power delivery.
But the story of the session was Antonelli. The championship leader clipped the Turn 1 barriers during Q1 and damaged his front-left suspension. Crucially, he had already set a time quick enough to advance to Q2, but the damage meant he could take no further part. He will start 16th.
Antonelli’s Recovery Drive
The irony will not be lost on Antonelli. His Q1 time was good enough to progress comfortably. The crash did not cost him pace, it cost him the opportunity to use it. Now he faces a charge through the field on a circuit where overtaking is genuinely possible, particularly with the huge slipstream effect on the run to Turn 1, but where any error is punished immediately by concrete walls.
Baku has produced some remarkable recovery drives over the years, and the long main straight gives drivers a realistic tool for making progress. The question is whether Antonelli can convert that into enough points to protect his 81-point lead. With Russell starting from pole, the arithmetic could shift dramatically by Saturday afternoon.
Practice Storylines and the McLaren Upgrade
Thursday’s running gave us plenty to digest. Russell topped FP2 by more than half a second from Antonelli, with Verstappen third, Leclerc fourth, Hamilton fifth and Norris the leading McLaren in sixth.
McLaren spent the day working through a sizeable upgrade package, and the team’s history of methodical development makes this worth watching closely. The Woking outfit has been one of the sport’s great development stories over the past decade, a legacy that traces directly back to the team’s origins, as explored in this piece on McLaren’s New Logo: A Nod to Bruce McLaren’s Humble Beginnings.
There were problems elsewhere. Arvid Lindblad crashed at the narrow castle section, bringing out the red flag. Shortly after the restart, Oliver Bearman reported a power unit failure. Fernando Alonso managed just nine laps before a suspected oil leak sidelined his Aston Martin. For Aston, it was a frustrating start to a weekend where track time is already compressed.
Weather Watch: Friday’s Wind Could Shake Up the Grid
The forecast adds another layer of unpredictability. Thursday was mild and mostly sunny, with temperatures between 22 and 25°C, though wind coming off the Caspian Sea was already noticeable through Baku’s narrower sections.
Friday is a different proposition entirely. Conditions turn cooler and cloudier, with around 24°C in FP3 dropping to the low 20s for qualifying. Light showers are possible towards the end of FP3, with a chance of further showers in qualifying, though only small amounts are expected. The bigger factor is wind. Northerly gusts could reach around 47mph during FP3 and around 40mph during qualifying.
That is a serious amount of wind for a street circuit. Baku’s exposed sections and long straights amplify the effect, and a sudden gust at the wrong moment can end a lap, or a session. If the forecast holds, qualifying could produce a grid that looks nothing like the form book.
Saturday should improve considerably. Clearer skies and temperatures around 25°C are expected for the race, with one source suggesting around 24°C at the start. Calmer than Friday, but Baku’s long straights can still leave drivers managing the wind.
Baku’s Circuit Demands
Energy deployment, straightline speed and confidence under braking are set to decide this race. The long run to the start-finish line remains the defining challenge, offering the biggest overtaking opportunity on the lap, but only for drivers willing to commit late on the brakes and trust their car’s energy management.
The castle section, by contrast, is where races are lost. Narrow, blind and utterly unforgiving, it has caught out drivers at every level. Lindblad’s crash in practice was a reminder of just how little margin exists there.
Verstappen’s suspected energy deployment issue is therefore doubly concerning. If Red Bull cannot solve it overnight, he will be vulnerable on the straights and may struggle to defend or attack. For Antonelli, the opposite applies. A car with strong deployment and a driver willing to take risks through the field could be a potent combination.
How to Watch in the UK
Sky Sports holds F1’s exclusive UK broadcast rights for the 2026 season, with every session shown live. Coverage can be streamed via Sky Go or NOW, with free-to-air highlights available on Channel 4. Broadcast arrangements can change, so it is worth checking listings closer to the weekend.
For fans travelling overseas, coverage varies by market. In the United States, Apple TV is the primary broadcast partner for 2026, with all sessions available on the platform following a multi-year deal. This applies to US viewers only. F1 TV remains the series’ global subscription streaming service.
What to Watch For on Saturday
Three questions will define the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
First, can Antonelli recover enough points to protect his 81-point cushion? Starting 16th on a circuit where overtaking is possible but punishing, he needs a clean, aggressive drive. Every position gained matters, and every mistake could be catastrophic.
Second, can Russell convert pole into a win? He has been the faster Mercedes driver on Saturday more often than not this season, but converting that into race victories has been the harder part. With his team-mate buried in the pack, this is a golden opportunity to claw back serious ground in the championship.
Third, will Verstappen’s energy deployment problems be solved overnight? If they are not, Red Bull’s race could unravel quickly. If they are, he starts eighth with a car capable of cutting through the field.
Baku has a habit of producing chaos. With a championship lead under threat, a pole-sitter hunting a win, and a compressed weekend leaving little room for error, the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix looks set to deliver exactly that.
For more on this, see motogp weekend russell baku.
2 Comments