Formula 1 qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered a new and unwanted record: six red flags. Far from being a collective lapse in driver skill, a perfect storm of conditions turned the Baku City Circuit into a relentless test of judgment, patience and nerve.
What changed to trigger so many stoppages?
Drivers faced a slippery surface as light rain intermittently hit sections of the track, while powerful gusts unsettled cars on turn-in and even along the straights. The combination of wind and low, inconsistent grip punished the smallest error and made repeatable laps incredibly difficult.
Six shunts, one theme: zero margin
Across the three segments, incidents for Alex Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Oliver Bearman, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri produced the six red flags that stretched the session to a marathon 118 minutes. Turn 15, in particular, bit hard, with Leclerc crashing there in Q3 before Piastri later found the wall, too.
Drivers on the edge
“We are the 20 best drivers in the world. If you have six of them crashing like we had, it's because the conditions are extremely tough,” explained Carlos Sainz, who hustled to a front-row start. He detailed the anxiety of pushing when a corner that was flat moments earlier suddenly offers no grip—“even if you don't take an extra risk, you can still crash.”
For Liam Lawson, who secured a historic P3 on the grid, the mindset was simple: survival. With laps repeatedly interrupted and only one clean opportunity at the end, he executed when it mattered most.
Why it snowballed
Repeated stoppages meant tyre preparation was constantly reset. In the decisive Q3 restart, most of the field still lacked a banked time, forcing a high-risk, single-shot finale on a surface that was cold in places and treacherous in others. In those conditions, even a conservative approach could backfire.
The bottom line
Baku’s streets always magnify risk-reward. Add gusty winds and rain spits, and the margin shrinks further. The record tally of red flags was the inevitable outcome of an afternoon where conditions—not carelessness—held the upper hand.
