The F1 starting grid for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been confirmed, with George Russell starting from pole position for Mercedes at the Baku City Circuit.
Russell produced a commanding 1:42.526 to secure the best starting position for Saturday’s race, with Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row for Ferrari.
Oscar Piastri starts third for McLaren, while Isack Hadjar lines up fourth for Red Bull Racing. Further back, penalties for Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have changed the final order from qualifying.
Here is the full F1 starting grid for the 2026 Azerbaijan GP.
Azerbaijan GP quick facts
- Race: 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Circuit: Baku City Circuit
- Pole position: George Russell
- Pole lap time: 1:42.526
- Front row: George Russell and Charles Leclerc
- Race start time: 15:00 local time
Azerbaijan GP 2026 starting grid
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 9 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 12 | Alexander Albon | Williams |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 14 | Carlos Sainz* | Williams |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls |
| 16 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 17 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi |
| 18 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac |
| 20 | Sergio Perez* | Cadillac |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso* | Aston Martin |
| 22 | Lance Stroll* | Aston Martin |
What grid penalties are there for the Azerbaijan GP?
Four drivers have penalties affecting the Azerbaijan GP starting grid, with Carlos Sainz the highest placed driver to lose positions. Sainz originally qualified ninth for Williams, but a five-place penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags drops the Spaniard to 14th.
That promotes Franco Colapinto to ninth for Alpine, with Oliver Bearman moving into the top 10 for Haas. Liam Lawson, Alexander Albon and Esteban Ocon also gain places as a result.
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Sergio Perez has been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding another driver. The Cadillac driver starts 20th, behind teammate Valtteri Bottas.
The two Aston Martin drivers occupy the final row after exceeding their permitted power-unit component allocations. Fernando Alonso carries a 30-place penalty and starts 21st, while Lance Stroll has a 20-place penalty and lines up 22nd.
Who is on pole for the Azerbaijan GP?
Russell starts on pole position for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after setting a 1:42.526 for Mercedes. His advantage over Leclerc was 0.837 seconds, giving the Briton a significant margin at a circuit where qualifying gaps are normally much tighter.
Pole also gives Russell an important opportunity to make ground in the championship after teammate Kimi Antonelli endured a difficult session. Kimi Antonelli starts only 16th after hitting the wall at Turn 1 in Q1, leaving the championship leader facing a major recovery drive through the field.
Leclerc starts second for Ferrari, while Piastri is just 0.001 seconds behind the Monegasque on the second row and will have a strong opportunity to attack into Turn 1.
Norris, Hamilton and Verstappen start further back
Lando Norris starts fifth for McLaren, directly behind Hadjar, after being unable to improve on his final attempt. Lewis Hamilton lines up sixth for Ferrari, with Pierre Gasly seventh for Alpine.
Max Verstappen starts eighth for Red Bull Racing, giving the four-time world champion plenty of work to do if he is to challenge the leaders in Baku.
The unusual order should create opportunities through the opening laps. Baku’s enormous main straight, heavy braking zones and tendency to produce safety cars mean drivers starting outside the first few rows can still work their way into contention.
What time does the Azerbaijan GP start?
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts at 15:00 local time in Baku on Saturday, September 26. Race start times in major regions:
- UK: 12:00
- Central Europe: 13:00
- United States Eastern Time: 07:00
- United States Pacific Time: 04:00
- AEST: 21:00
The Azerbaijan GP is being held on Saturday in 2026, rather than the traditional Sunday slot, with the race moved forward to avoid a clash with Azerbaijan’s Day of Remembrance on September 27.
The race takes place at the Baku City Circuit, where the combination of a narrow old-city section and one of Formula 1’s longest flat-out stretches regularly creates unpredictable racing.
Azerbaijan GP 2026 starting grid FAQs
George Russell starts on pole position for the Azerbaijan GP 2026 after setting a 1:42.526 for Mercedes.
Charles Leclerc starts second for Ferrari, alongside George Russell on the front row.
Max Verstappen starts eighth for Red Bull Racing, behind Pierre Gasly and ahead of Franco Colapinto.
Kimi Antonelli starts 16th for Mercedes after crashing into the Turn 1 wall during Q1.
Carlos Sainz has a five-place penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags, while Sergio Perez has a three-place penalty for impeding. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll start on the back row after receiving major power-unit grid penalties.
The 2026 Azerbaijan GP starts at 15:00 local time in Baku on Saturday, September 26, which is 12:00 in the UK and 07:00 Eastern Time.
