BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 26. The
main race of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has started,
Trend's correspondent reports from the race venue.
Mercedes driver George Russell will start the race
from pole position. He recorded the fastest time in yesterday's
qualifying session. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will start
second, McLaren's Oscar Piastri third, Red Bull Racing driver Isack
Hadjar fourth, and McLaren driver Lando Norris fifth.
The top 10 also includes Ferrari driver Lewis
Hamilton in sixth place, Alpine driver Pierre Gasly in seventh, Red
Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen in eighth, Williams driver Carlos
Sainz in ninth, and Alpine driver Franco Colapinto in 10th.
The qualifying session was unsuccessful for
championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver failed to
set a time and will start from 16th place. Antonelli arrives at the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the leader, 81 points ahead of his closest
rival.
This year's event marks the 10th Formula 1 race held
in Azerbaijan. The first Formula 1 race at the Baku City Circuit
took place in 2016, while since 2017 the event has been included in
the Formula 1 calendar under the name of the Azerbaijan Grand
Prix.
The main race at the Baku City Circuit will consist
of 51 laps. The length of one lap is 6 kilometers, and drivers will
cover a total distance of more than 306 kilometers during the race.
The anti-clockwise track features 20 turns.
The Baku race is known for its narrow streets, long
straights and barriers located close to the track. On the section
running along the walls of the Old City, the track width narrows to
around 7.6 meters. These characteristics create overtaking
opportunities while also increasing the consequences of driver
errors.
Previous Azerbaijan Grands Prix have also been marked
by unexpected results. Sergio Perez won in Baku in 2021 and 2023,
while Max Verstappen claimed victories in 2022 and 2025. If
Verstappen wins today, he will become the first driver to win the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix three times.
The Baku race is also significant for Ferrari driver
Charles Leclerc. He secured pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand
Prix four consecutive times from 2021 to 2024. However, the
Monegasque driver was unable to convert any of those pole positions
into victories. Starting second after yesterday's qualifying,
Leclerc will aim to secure his first win in Baku this time.
This year's race is also important in terms of the
championship battle. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has won eight
of the first 14 races of the season and arrives at the Azerbaijan
Grand Prix as the championship leader. He holds an 81-point
advantage over his teammate George Russell.
Thus, the main race of the 10th Formula 1 Azerbaijan
Grand Prix will start today in Baku. The outcome will determine
both the winner of the Azerbaijan round and possible changes in the
championship standings.
