F1 Azerbaijan GP: Saturday schedule, weather forecast…

Formula 1 heads into Saturday in Baku with George Russell on pole and a major opportunity to cut into Kimi Antonelli championship lead after his Mercedes team-mate crashed out of qualifying.

Russell dominated the final part of qualifying to take his fifth pole of the season, beating Charles Leclerc by more than eight tenths. Oscar Piastri starts third for McLaren, ahead of the returning Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris.

Antonelli faces a very different race after hitting the Turn 1 barriers in Q1 and damaging the front-left suspension of his Mercedes. The championship leader had already set a time quick enough to advance, but could take no further part and qualified 16th.

Lewis Hamilton starts sixth ahead of Pierre Gasly, while Max Verstappen could only manage eighth after struggling with a suspected energy deployment problem. With Russell at the front and Antonelli deep in the field, Saturday’s race could have significant consequences for the championship fight.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Azerbaijan GP.

How can I watch the F1 Azerbaijan GP?

Broadcast coverage of Formula 1 varies by region. In the United States, Apple TV is the primary broadcast partner for the 2026 season, with all sessions available on the platform following a multi-year deal. F1 TV remains the series’ global subscription streaming service.

For viewers in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports continues as the championship’s exclusive broadcaster, showing every session live throughout the 2026 season. F1 coverage can also be streamed via Sky Go or NOW, with highlights available free-to-air on Channel 4.

Motorsport.com will provide live coverage and updates throughout the Azerbaijan GP weekend.

F1 Azerbaijan GP Saturday schedule

Times local to Baku:

Saturday, September 26 — 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix — 3:00pm AZT

For UK viewers:

Saturday, September 26 — 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix — 12:00pm BST

For US Eastern Time viewers:

Saturday, September 26 — 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix — 7:00am ET

F1 Azerbaijan GP full weekend schedule

All times local to Baku:

Thursday, September 24 — free practice 1 — 12:30pm AZT
Thursday, September 24 — free practice 2 — 4:00pm AZT
Friday, September 25 — free practice 3 — 12:30pm AZT
Friday, September 25 — qualifying — 4:00pm AZT
Saturday, September 26 — 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix — 3:00pm AZT

Azerbaijan GP Saturday weather forecast

Saturday is expected to bring much calmer conditions for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Friday’s strong winds in Baku.

Clearer skies are forecast, with temperatures around 25C for the race. That should make conditions more predictable than they were during qualifying, although Baku’s long straights and exposed sections can still leave drivers dealing with some wind.

With little sign of major weather disruption, the focus should return to race pace, energy management and strategy around the high-speed street circuit.

Azerbaijan GP track facts

Circuit: Baku City Circuit
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Event: Azerbaijan GP
Circuit type: street circuit
Thursday sessions: Free practice 1 and free practice 2
Friday sessions: Free practice 3 and qualifying
Race: Saturday, September 26

Baku combines narrow street sections with a long run to the start-finish line, putting a premium on confidence under braking, straightline performance and energy management.

2026 Formula 1 driver and team line-ups

Team	Driver	Driver
McLaren	Lando Norris	Oscar Piastri
Mercedes	George Russell	Kimi Antonelli
Red Bull Racing	Max Verstappen	Isack Hadjar
Ferrari	Lewis Hamilton	Charles Leclerc
Williams	Carlos Sainz	Alex Albon
Racing Bulls	Liam Lawson	Arvid Lindblad
Aston Martin	Fernando Alonso	Lance Stroll
Haas F1 Team	Oliver Bearman	Esteban Ocon
Audi	Nico Hulkenberg	Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine	Pierre Gasly	Franco Colapinto
Cadillac F1 Team	Valtteri Bottas	Sergio Perez