Max Verstappen set the fastest time in Free Practice 3 for the 2026 FIA Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix, denying George Russell a clean sweep of the practice sessions at the Baku City Circuit

The Red Bull driver posted a 1:43.922 in the closing stages of the hour-long session to finish 0.099s clear of Russell, with Lewis Hamilton a further 0.012s behind in third. Kimi Antonelli was fourth for Mercedes, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Following Russell’s double success on Thursday, Mercedes again showed strong pace during the early stages of the session, although the windy conditions around the Baku City Circuit continued to make life difficult for the drivers.

Running was initially limited, with Pierre Gasly setting the early benchmark for Alpine before the leading runners began to emerge. Leclerc moved to the top of the timesheets on the Soft tyres with a 1:45.564, while both Mercedes drivers initially ran the Medium compound.

Verstappen then briefly moved ahead as the drivers began to work on their qualifying preparations, with the long straight along the Baku waterfront providing opportunities for slipstreaming. Hamilton responded with a 1:45.093 to reclaim first place.

The changing conditions were evident throughout the session, with several drivers running wide at the circuit’s heavy braking zones. Verstappen reported that his Red Bull felt difficult to place through Turn 16, while Hamilton, Antonelli and Verstappen each explored the run-off areas at Turns 1, 4 and 15.

A brief Virtual Safety Car period was also required after a tree branch was blown onto the circuit, while Lance Stroll’s session came to an early end when the Aston Martin driver clipped the inside wall at Turn 1. Damage to his car prevented him from continuing, leaving him with just nine laps completed.

As the session approached its final 15 minutes, Mercedes switched both drivers to the Soft tyres for their qualifying simulations. Russell immediately moved to the top of the order with a 1:44.177 before improving again to 1:44.021.

Antonelli was unable to match his team-mate’s pace, while Verstappen moved between the two Mercedes cars with his first attempt on the Soft compound. The Red Bull driver then found further time on his final flying lap.

Verstappen set a 1:43.922 to move to the top of the timesheets, taking advantage of a slipstream on the long run towards the finish. Russell was unable to respond after running deep at Turn 7 on his final attempt, having also locked up into Turn 1.

Hamilton meanwhile improved to 1:44.033 to take third, just 0.012s behind Russell. Antonelli finished fourth on a 1:44.273, with Leclerc fifth on 1:44.544.

Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Red Bull on his return to the RB22, with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto completing the top 10.

Carlos Sainz was 11th for Williams, followed by Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Pérez. Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas and Stroll completed the order.

2026 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Free Practice 3 
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:43.922 21 207.952
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:44.021 0.099 21 207.754
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:44.033 0.111 18 207.730
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:44.273 0.351 21 207.252
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:44.544 0.622 22 206.714
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:44.637 0.715 20 206.531
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:44.746 0.824 20 206.316
8 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:44.899 0.977 20 206.015
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:45.176 1.254 22 205.472
10 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:45.592 1.670 20 204.663
11 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:45.605 1.683 24 204.638
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:45.692 1.770 25 204.469
13 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:45.854 1.932 18 204.156
14 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:45.918 1.996 21 204.033
15 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:45.998 2.076 18 203.879
16 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:46.004 2.082 19 203.867
17 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:46.076 2.154 24 203.729
18 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:46.222 2.300 23 203.449
19 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:46.271 2.349 22 203.355
20 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:46.512 2.590 19 202.895
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:48.587 4.665 19 199.018
22 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:49.279 5.357 9 197.758