Where the Azerbaijan Grand Prix stands this weekend
Charles Leclerc aims to push his Ferrari to the front and seize pole so he can start from first on Sunday. The Monegasque driver surprised Red Bull by setting the fastest time in the second free practice in Baku, ahead of Sergio Perez of Red Bull who finished second. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz also posted strong times, placing fourth and fifth respectively on the city street circuit in the fourth round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
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Ferrari reacts and Leclerc leads Azerbaijan in free practice 2, Alonso fourth and Sainz fifth (Source: motorsport outlets, attribution later)
In the best 23 laps of the session, Leclerc completed the 6.003-kilometer street course in one minute, 43 seconds and 224 thousandths. Perez won in Monaco last year and finished with a strong pace in Baku, while Max Verstappen trailed closely behind with a limited gap. The field showed consistent performance on soft tires as everyone targeted peak speed for the street layout.
The overall standings and the weekend outlook are shaped by the clear tempo set by the top runners, with Perez, Verstappen, and Leclerc all showing the pace required for a sharp pole position in qualifying. (Source: official F1 timing and team reports, attribution available)
The session concluded with Alonso and Sainz recording fourth and fifth fastest times on a day when ambient temperatures hovered around 23 degrees Celsius and the tarmac reached about 31 degrees. The Asturian champion completed 21 laps, finishing just behind Leclerc by a narrow margin on soft compound tires. The Madrid native was one second and five thousandths behind, reflecting a competitive gap that keeps the championship sliding in interesting directions as the weekend progresses.
The third free practice is scheduled for Saturday, just hours before qualifying, which determines the grid for Sunday’s race, a 51-lap sprint through the 306-kilometer course that winds through the Azerbaijani capital.
Azerbaijan GP: where to watch the race
In 2022, Formula 1 races were available on television in Spain through Movistar+ and DAZN. Movistar+ will include full coverage on the Movistar+ F1 channel, with the platform expanding its offerings following an agreement that also extends to MotoGP. (Source: regional sport coverage announcements, attribution available)
Across Latin America, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile typically broadcast the grands prix on local networks, while Televisa in Mexico carries the races. In the United States, Formula 1 can be viewed through the ESPN network. (Source: broadcast rights announcements, attribution available)
Azerbaijan GP qualifying schedule
Saturday, June 11
Classification: 16:00–17:00 (CET)
Sunday, June 12
Race: 13:00 (CET) (51 laps)