There is Formula 1 qualifying on a Friday this week, and it's not a sprint race weekend. That is because it's the weekend of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit, round 15 on the 23-race 2026 calendar, and Sunday, September 27 is a national holiday in Azerbaijan.
That date is classified as Remembrance Day and commemorates those who died during the Second Nagorno Karabagh war, otherwise known as The Patriotic War, in 2020. The request to move the race (and thus every day of the three-day race weekend) up by one day was made by race promoters and "relevant government stakeholders" in June 2025.
As a result, the 51-lap race around the 20-turn, 3.73-mile (6.003-kilometer) Baku City Circuit temporary street circuit in Azadliq Square, Baku, Azerbaijan, which is set to kick off the first of three consecutive tripleheaders to conclude the 2026 season over the next 11 weekends, is set to be held this Saturday.
Including sprint races, 18 of 19 races contested so far this season have been won from the front row. But just five of the nine races contested in Baku since the track was added to the schedule in 2020 have been won from P1 or P2 on the grid, with just three of those races won from pole.
How crucial will Friday's Grand Prix qualifying session prove to be for Baku's first race under the new regulations? Follow along with our updates from Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix F1 qualifying: Eliminated in Q1
17 - Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi
18 - Nico Hulkenberg, Audi
19 - Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
20 - Sergio Perez, Cadillac
21 - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
22 - Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac
Azerbaijan Grand Prix F1 qualifying: Eliminated in Q2
11 - Ollie Bearman, Haas
12 - Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
13 - Alex Albon, Williams
14 - Esteban Ocon, Haas
15 - Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
16 - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Azerbaijan Grand Prix F1 qualifying: Q3 results
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 - Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams
10 - Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Full Azerbaijan Grand Prix starting lineup
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 - Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams
10 - Franco Colapinto, Alpine
11 - Ollie Bearman, Haas
12 - Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
13 - Alex Albon, Williams
14 - Esteban Ocon, Haas
15 - Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
16 - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
17 - Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi
18 - Nico Hulkenberg, Audi
19 - Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
20 - Sergio Perez, Cadillac
21 - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
22 - Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set to be shown live on Apple TV from Baku City Circuit beginning at 6:55 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 26.
Add us as a preferred source on Google