Max Verstappen Snatches Azerbaijan GP Pole, McLaren Melts Down In Baku Chaos

Last Updated:September 20, 2025, 20:07 IST

Max Verstappen takes Azerbaijan GP pole; Sainz second for Williams, Lawson third. McLaren struggles after crashes from Piastri and Norris.

Max Verstappen claimed pole in a chaotic Azerbaijan Qualifying (X)

Max Verstappen will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position for the first time, after a chaotic and record-breaking qualifying session that saw McLaren implode in Q3.

The weekend had already been interrupted by four red flags across Q1 and Q2, and the drama continued in the final session. Both Charles Leclerc and championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed in Q3, leaving Carlos Sainz in a Williams temporarily on provisional pole with just 3:41 remaining on the clock.

Verstappen, on a fresh set of soft tyres, then surged to a 1:41.117, snatching pole from Sainz and securing Williams’ best qualifying result since George Russell in 2021.

Liam Lawson produced a career-best performance to claim third for Racing Bulls, while Lando Norris limped home in seventh after hitting the wall on his final lap. Piastri’s earlier crash left him ninth, marking a disastrous weekend for McLaren, who are still in contention for the constructors’ championship.

Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton qualified 12th, while Sainz will line up second, keeping Williams in the spotlight in a session full of twists.

(more to follow…)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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News sports Max Verstappen Snatches Azerbaijan GP Pole, McLaren Melts Down In Baku Chaos

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