F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying: Essential Guide for Fans

Qualifying for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit is set to kick off at 4 PM local time. After McLaren dominated the first practice session, Ferrari, led by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, showed strong form in Practice 2, setting the stage for an intense qualifying battle.

Why it matters:

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is known for its unpredictable street circuit, often leading to dramatic qualifying sessions and races. The shifting performance between McLaren and Ferrari in practice indicates a tight competition, crucial for championship standings as teams vie for crucial grid positions that can significantly impact race day outcomes.

The details:

• Qualifying Schedule: The session is scheduled from 16:00 to 17:00 local time on Saturday, September 20th. For international viewers, this translates to 13:00 BST, 05:00 PST, 08:00 ET, 21:00 JST, and 20:00 CST.
• Where to Watch:
  • UK: Sky Sports F1, Now TV.
  • USA: ESPN, fuboTV, F1 TV.
  • Europe (Select Countries): Servus TV/ORF (Austria), RTBF/Play Sports (Belgium), Canal+ (France), Sky (Germany/Italy), Viaplay (Netherlands/Norway/Sweden), DAZN (Portugal/Spain), and more across the continent.
  • Americas: ESPN Network (USA), RDS/TSN (Canada), ESPN (Latin America).
  • Asia: Shanghai TV/Tencent (China), FanCode (India), Fuji TV/DAZN (Japan), beIN SPORTS (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand), K+ (Vietnam).
  • Oceania: Fox Sports/Kayo (Australia), Sky (New Zealand).
  • Africa: SuperSport.
• Practice Results Highlights:
  • Practice 1: McLaren's Lando Norris led, followed by Oscar Piastri, with Charles Leclerc in third.
  • Practice 2: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) topped the session, closely followed by teammate Charles Leclerc, and George Russell (Mercedes).
• Free Options: Motorsport.com will provide live commentary, and F1's official YouTube channel will feature free highlights after each session.

The big picture:

McLaren currently leads the Constructors' standings with 617 points, significantly ahead of Ferrari (280 points) and Mercedes (260 points). In the Drivers' standings, Oscar Piastri leads with 324 points, followed by Lando Norris (293 points) and Max Verstappen (230 points). A strong qualifying performance in Baku is vital for all teams to either maintain their lead or close the gap in both championships, especially given the high-risk, high-reward nature of the circuit.

What's next:

With the qualifying session poised to be a thrilling contest, all eyes will be on how the teams adapt to the challenging Baku City Circuit. The grid positions set today will be instrumental in shaping strategies for Sunday's race, where overtakes are possible but often come with high risk. Expect intense wheel-to-wheel action and potentially unexpected outcomes as drivers push the limits on this demanding street circuit.