The starting grid for the 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been significantly reshuffled following a series of late penalties handed out by the FIA ahead of Saturday’s race in Baku.
Mercedes driver George Russell will start from pole position after delivering a spectacular qualifying performance on Friday. The 28-year-old produced a stunning lap around the Baku City Circuit to comfortably beat his rivals and secure the top spot for Mercedes.
Charles Leclerc will join Russell on the front row for Ferrari, although the Monegasque driver finished more than eight-tenths of a second behind the Mercedes star.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, faces a difficult afternoon after a costly qualifying crash. The young Italian lost control of his Mercedes and hit the barriers during Q2, leaving him with only 16th place on the starting grid.
With Antonelli currently holding an 81-point advantage in the Drivers’ Championship, a difficult result in Baku could reduce his lead over his rivals.
Behind the front runners, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will begin the race from sixth, while reigning champion Max Verstappen starts eighth after another challenging qualifying session.
However, several drivers have been pushed down the order because of penalties.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has dropped from ninth to 14th after receiving a five-place grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. The penalty is a major setback after the Spaniard had shown promising pace with Williams’ newly upgraded car.
Aston Martin has suffered an even greater blow. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have been hit with multiple power-unit penalties, resulting in a combined 50-place drop.
Alonso will start from 22nd after receiving a total 30-place penalty. The Spaniard was already facing a 25-place drop for taking a fifth engine, fifth turbocharger and ninth Power Unit Ancillary Component. He was then handed another five-place penalty for fitting a new energy store.
Stroll, meanwhile, has been pushed down to 21st after receiving a 20-place penalty for taking a sixth turbocharger, seventh energy store, sixth control electronics unit and eighth PU-ANC.
Cadillac’s Sergio Perez will also start outside his original qualifying position. The Mexican has been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding McLaren driver Oscar Piastri during qualifying, leaving him in 20th.
With penalties dramatically changing the order, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set for a potentially unpredictable start, with several championship contenders facing very different challenges from their original qualifying positions.
