OFFICIAL GRID: Who starts where for the Azerbaijan GP

George Russell secured pole position for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, delivering a dominant performance for Mercedes to finish nearly a second ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Isack Hadjar occupy the second row, with Hadjar outperforming his teammate Max Verstappen, who qualified eighth. Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton start from the third row, followed by Pierre Gasly, Verstappen, Liam Lawson, and Oliver Bearman. Carlos Sainz, originally a top-10 starter, dropped to 14th following a five-place penalty for ignoring yellow flags, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered a disappointing Q1 exit and will start 16th after crashing. At the back of the grid, Sergio Perez remains 20th despite his own penalty, as Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll received multiple penalties for power unit changes. The race is set to begin at 15:00 local time.