Formula 1 rolls into Baku for Round 15 of the 2026 season with the championship picture starting to harden – and Kimi Antonelli very much in control.
The Mercedes rookie arrives in Azerbaijan with an 81-point cushion after a ruthless victory at the inaugural Madring Spanish Grand Prix, a win shaped as much by race craft and strategy as by raw speed. That result has turned the title race into his to lose.
Norris Stung by Virtual Safety Car
In Spain, it looked like Lando Norris had finally teed up the perfect weekend. A blistering qualifying lap put the McLaren driver on pole and, for a while, he had the race exactly where he wanted it.
Then the virtual safety car arrived.
Timing, not pace, undid him. Norris lost out heavily during that VSC phase, surrendered track position, and never quite recovered the authority he’d shown from the front. He fought back, though, and salvaged third place – a podium that felt more like a missed opportunity than a celebration.
Verstappen and Hamilton Open the Door for Mercedes
Max Verstappen had to play the long game. The Red Bull driver finished second in Madrid but was forced to give up position to Lewis Hamilton early on, a key moment that shifted the race’s balance.
That exchange helped pull Antonelli into the perfect window. While Hamilton’s move and subsequent position swap shaped the front-running order, it was Antonelli who capitalised most, converting the chaos and strategy swings into maximum points and an iron grip on the standings.
Baku Weekend Schedule
Now the circus heads to the high-speed walls of Baku, where the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will test nerve, precision and patience over 51 laps on Sunday. Lights out is set for 12:00 BST, with the tight castle section and long main straight promising the usual mix of jeopardy and opportunity.
All sessions are live in the UK on BBC platforms (all times BST):
- Thursday, 24 September
- First practice: 09:30–10:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, smart speakers)
- Second practice: 13:00–14:00 (BBC Sports Extra 2, BBC Sounds, smart speakers) - Friday, 25 September
- Third practice: 09:30–10:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, smart speakers)
- Qualifying: 13:00–14:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, smart speakers) - Saturday, 26 September
- Race: 12:00 start, with build-up from 11:00 (BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, smart speakers)
Commentary of Sunday’s grand prix will run across BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Most smart speakers will pick it up with a simple request to “play 5 Live”.
For those wanting more than just the live call, every episode of the Chequered Flag podcast tracks the twists of this title fight, and for the first time this season the post-race show from every grand prix is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
Antonelli has the points. Verstappen, Norris and Hamilton have the weapons to attack. On Baku’s unforgiving streets, one mistake can turn an 81-point lead into a very different conversation.
