Antonelli crashes out in qualifying — but why is the Azerbaijan GP race on Saturday?
Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli crashed out during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Baku's street circuit, while this year's race is exceptionally being held on Saturday instead of the usual Sunday because it coincides with Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day.
Why the race is on Saturday
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend runs from Thursday to Saturday instead of the customary Friday-to-Sunday schedule. The reason is Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day, marked on 27 September to commemorate the start of the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020. To avoid holding the race on that date, F1 shifted the entire Baku weekend forward by a day this year, meaning the main race takes place on Saturday rather than Sunday, according to the Guardian.
Chaotic qualifying on Baku's streets
Friday's qualifying session was one of the most chaotic of the season, with six red-flag stoppages caused by crashes highlighting how difficult drivers found the high-speed street circuit in gusty wind conditions. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) hit the wall in Q2, badly damaging his front-left corner, and was unable to continue. The BBC reports that Antonelli qualified 16th, while the Guardian states he will start the race from 15th — the sources disagree on his exact grid position.
For much of the session, Antonelli's teammate George Russell was fastest, topping both Q1 and Q2. In the decisive Q3, however, the order changed, with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) claiming pole position while both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, ended up well off the pace in seventh and ninth respectively.
Context: Middle East conflict overshadows the season's finish
The Guardian notes that the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel, Iran and other Middle Eastern states has already led to the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian GP and the rescheduling of the Bahrain GP to Malaysia on 4 October. The season-closing rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are also under threat, with Imola on standby as a backup venue. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said he hopes the planned Middle East races can still go ahead.
Championship standings ahead of the race
Antonelli leads the drivers' championship with 292 points ahead of the Baku weekend, followed by Russell (211), Hamilton (191), Norris (186) and Charles Leclerc (167). Pole-sitter Verstappen sits sixth overall with 145 points.
