Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Carlos Sainz eyes turning shock front-row into first Williams podium.
The former Ferrari driver was on course for a stunning pole position after crashes for Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri disrupted a chaotic final part of a drama-filled qualifying in Baku.
20 Sep 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Carlos Sainz is eyeing a first podium for Williams after securing a shock second place on the grid at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "Very happy, We've nailed the qualifying today. Every time being on the right tyre at the right time and putting together some very strong laps,” Sainz said.

"Of course the moment that a top car put a lap together we were always going to be those four or five tenths behind, but it was only one of them, and it was Max - no surprise. For the rest, we managed to beat them. We're in P2, which is great news. I've been putting good laps together this year in qualifying; it hasn't been an issue or my weakness at all.”

“Again we proved that there is speed in this car and delivering in qualifying when it counts. "Unfortunately, the year in races and in points is not going the way we want but as long as the speed is there, like today proves, the good races will come and I'm not worried.” On Sunday's race, Sainz added: "I'm going to give it my all to give Williams a first podium. We'll see.”

‘Eyeing a first podium for Williams’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108214...illiams-podium


Ferrari reveal Baku 'confusion' after disastrous F1 qualifying
Charles Leclerc crashed in Q3 and will start 10th, Lewis Hamilton eliminated in Q2, starting 12th.
21 Sep 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Fred Vasseur has revealed Ferrari's confusion in a disastrous Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying after Charles Leclerc's crash and Lewis Hamilton's early exit. Ferrari had shown strong pace throughout practice in Baku, topping FP2 with Hamilton ahead of Leclerc, and reinforced that in FP3, but things went wrong in qualifying.

The team split tyre strategies in the second segment, with Leclerc taking mediums and Hamilton softs, but a mistake at Turn 1 from Leclerc brought out yellow flags, which forced Hamilton to abort. Eventually, Hamilton was eliminated in 12th with Leclerc knocking his team-mate out, as the Monegasque continued his bid for a fifth straight pole.

‘Ferrari's confusion’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-re...-f1-qualifying


Sainz Defies Baku Chaos, Parks Williams on Front Row
Alex Albuquerque
Sep 20, 2025
Fastest Lap

Carlos Sainz didn’t just survive Baku’s madness — he steered straight through it and parked a Williams on the front row. In a qualifying session that was repeatedly torn up and restarted — six red flags, a record for an F1 quali — Sainz owned the moment until the final minutes, when Max Verstappen did what Max Verstappen tends to do. Pole to the Red Bull. P2 to a beaming Sainz and a resurgent Williams. This was a session that kept thinning the herd. Lewis Hamilton fell in Q2. Championship leader Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc both found the wall in Q3. Lando Norris clipped Turn 15 and limped out of the fight. Through it all, Sainz played the game Williams needed him to play: out early, banker lap in, head down while the others blinked. For a solid stretch, he was sitting on provisional pole for good reason.

“Very happy. Honestly, we’ve nailed qualifying today,” Sainz said afterward, his voice more satisfied than surprised. “Right tyre, right time, strong laps. When a top car threaded it together, we knew we’d be a few tenths off — and it was Max. But we beat the rest. P2 is great news.” It’s no secret Sainz has been sharper over one lap than his race results have shown this year, and he didn’t shy away from that contrast. “I’ve been delivering in qualifying when it counts. The races and points haven’t gone the way we want, but the speed is there. The good results will come. I’m not worried.”

The target now is simple: podium. The opportunity is real. Track position in Baku can swing a Sunday, particularly with a car that’s tidy on the straights and obedient in the braking zones. And Williams has a subtle ace up its sleeve: Sainz kept back two fresh sets of hard tyres, the compound that’s expected to be the day’s workhorse. Team principal James Vowles, who’s spent much of the season chasing tyre preparation gremlins in qualifying, credited the garage for a clean execution at a circuit that punishes hesitancy.

‘Baku’s madness — he steered straight through it’;

https://fastestlap.com/news/sainz-de...-on-front-row/


Lewis Hamilton Reveals What Went Wrong in Ruined Baku Qualifying
Sep 20, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
Rock Hill Herald

Hamilton looked to get his season going in Baku, aiming for his first potential podium finish with the Scuderia. Instead, he is once again on the back foot for the start of the race, though this time it was the tire choice that cost him.

"The medium tire was just much quicker," Hamilton told the media after qualifying. "The team chose to run me on the medium in Q2, and Charles was meant to run it second run in Q2, but then, because everyone else wasn't out on them, [we] opted to keep it, and then all the top 10 basically had three mediums.”

"We knew that the medium was quicker by, they said it was about three-tenths or something like that, and it felt great, and we should have run it in Q2. One of the things that kind of factored into it was a bit of direction the team were pushing for us to go with some of the setup, that didn't feel as good as [F]P2," the seven-time champion added.

‘What Went Wrong’;

https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/...mainstage_card


Carlos Sainz sets clear Azerbaijan GP target as ‘huge advantage’ emerges
20 Sep 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

“Plan for tomorrow, try and stick it in the podium,” he confirmed. “I think I’m going to give it my best to give Williams that first podium [sic]. If it’s possible, great. And if it’s not, we will see.”

Reacting to Sainz’s front row achievement, Williams team principal James Vowles told Sky F1: “What I’m happy about is the team’s done brilliant work over the last 10 days. We have not been good in qualifying, getting the tyres ready and working.”

“And this weekend, the standout for me is that every time we’ve gone out, [F]P1 to qualifying, first lap, we can get that tyre working. So quick car and good result, and well done to Carlos. You saw out there how tricky it is. Brilliant, brilliant driver.”

“Plan for tomorrow, try and stick it in the podium”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...huge-advantage


Things that led to Hamilton's horrendous day at Baku following his pace-setting performance on Friday
21 Sep 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

On the back of a highly encouraging practice day at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton endured an incredibly tough day at Baku, to start from the midfield on Sunday.

The British and the Monegasque driver posted impressive lap times in Q1, but their session started to go wrong in Q2. On their initial runs Leclerc went wide, wrecking his lap but also his team mate’s as Hamilton was forced to abort thanks to the resultant yellow flags.

Coming back out as the clock ticked down, Leclerc did enough to make Q3 on Pirelli's medium tyres. However, Hamilton was left out on his worn soft tyres, and the seven-time world champion was unable to make it out of Q2. All eyes were set on Leclerc, but the Monegasque, who always goes well at Baku, crashed just as the rain started to fall in Q3, bringing out the red flags and failing to set a lap time.

‘Hamilton was left out on his worn soft tyres’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/27807


Sainz will ‘give it my all’ in Baku to claim maiden Williams podium
20 Sep 2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Even as he started his final lap, Sainz sensed the potential for a remarkable result. “I think our simulation said at the time maybe only Max and Lando could beat us. So I was thinking about a P3. In the end, it was only Max… It had to be Max!” he said with a wry smile.

“But, in general, I thought as soon as I started my lap at the end, I was actually coming very quick. I was like three or four tenths up on my lap. In one way, I was thinking, great, because this might even confirm or achieve pole, but then I was thinking the leaders are going to be even quicker, no? And that’s exactly what happened.”

Now, with a prime starting position, Sainz is laser-focused on converting his P2 into a podium, a feat Williams last achieved – in normal circumstances – in Baku with Lance Stroll’s third place in 2017. “I'm going to give it my all to give Williams a first podium. We'll see,” he vowed.

‘Give it my all’;

https://f1i.com/news/548900-sainz-wi...ms-podium.html


Charles Leclerc blames Ferrari tyre call for 2025 Azerbaijan GP qualifying shocker
Four-time polesitter at Baku City Circuit crashed out on Saturday
20 Sep 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Charles Leclerc blames a Ferrari tyre call for his qualifying shocker at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP by criticising a decision to run the medium, as he crashed out at the Baku City Circuit on September 20.

‘Ferrari tyre call’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/cha...fying-shocker/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen claims dominant Azerbaijan win over Russell and Sainz after Piastri crashes out.
Max Verstappen was never challenged on Sunday in Baku, while Lando Norris brought the gap down to title rival Oscar Piastri after the Australian’s dramatic opening lap crash.
21 September 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Max Verstappen claimed a lights-to-flag victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Lando Norris closed the gap to title rival Oscar Piastri to 25 points after the Drivers' Championship leader crashed out on the opening lap.

Verstappen was never headed on the streets of Baku, leading all 51 laps and winning by over 14 seconds from Mercedes' George Russell and Carlos Sainz, who claimed his first podium for Williams having just lost out on pole position.

Kimi Antonelli narrowly missed out on the final step of the podium, having run well all day, but was well clear of a fierce battle for fifth, which was headed by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, who claimed a career-best result.

‘Max Verstappen was never challenged’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...wpl3dI79nDmrHS


2025 F1 Azerbaijan GP – Race Results
Max Verstappen led from start to finish in Baku as Oscar Piastri crashed out on Lap 1
21 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport

F1 Azerbaijan GP 2025 Race Results
Check out the full F1 2025 Azerbaijan GP results from Baku below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Leader
2 George Russell Mercedes +14.609
3 Carlos Sainz Williams +19.199
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +21.760
5 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +33.290
6 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +33.808
7 Lando Norris McLaren +34.227
8 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +36.310
9 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +36.774
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +38.982

‘Race Results’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...-race-results/


Max Verstappen dominates F1 Azerbaijan GP as Oscar Piastri crashes out on opening lap
21 September 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Max Verstappen dominated Formula 1‘s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, completing a lights-to-flag victory, as Oscar Piastri crashed out on the opening lap. The Dutchman cemented his pole position advantage at the start and never looked back, as George Russell, battling illness, took second.

Carlos Sainz fulfilled his ambition of a first podium for Williams with third. Team-mate Lando Norris had a a big chance to close the gap in the Drivers’ title, but yet another McLaren pitstop issue condemned him to a disappointing seventh place.

‘Max Verstappen dominated’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...n-opening-lap/


Formula 1: Kiwi Liam Lawson finishes fifth in Azerbaijan Grand Prix
21 September 2025
Grant Chapman
Radio New Zealand

Kiwi Liam Lawson has notched up his best result in the 2025 Formula 1 season so far, finishing fifth in Azerbaijan. Lawson started third on the Baku City Circuit, but fell several positions after pitting early, although he held off several contenders for his place in the final laps. Lawson, 23, clocked the third-fastest time of Q3, covering the 6km circuit in 1m 41.707s.

Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen won the race, leading from start to finish. George Russell took second place, with Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three.

Sep 21, 2025 1:40 PM
RNZ Live
Finish: "Unbelievable race, guys," Verstappen tells his team.
"Super job, George," Russell's team tells him.
Sainz is voted driver of the day and he is jubilant.
Great day for Lawson, not the podium he wanted, after his third in qualifying, but progress, as he tries to secure his drive for next year.

'Kiwi Liam Lawson finishes fifth ';

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/573...jan-grand-prix


Max Verstappen takes easy Azerbaijan GP win as F1 title battle takes another twist with Piastri crash in Baku
Verstappen wins Azerbaijan GP after Piastri’s Lap 1 crash, with Russell second and Sainz scoring an emotional podium for Williams
21 September 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport

The streets of Baku once again delivered high drama as Max Verstappen stormed to victory at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, capitalising on Oscar Piastri’s opening-lap crash to spark new life into the Formula 1 title battle. The Red Bull driver controlled the race from lights to flag, pulling clear of George Russell’s Mercedes and Carlos Sainz’s Williams to underline his growing momentum in the second half of the season.

For championship leader Piastri, it was a nightmare that could reshape the fight for the crown. After jumping the start, stalling, and tumbling to the back, the Australian lost control into Turn 5 and hit the barriers at the Baku City Circuit, ending his race before it had truly begun. His first major error of 2025 left him watching helplessly as title rivals fought to chip away at his 31-point cushion.

But Lando Norris failed to make it count. Despite McLaren’s offset strategy and fresher tyres late in the race, the Briton was unable to climb higher than seventh. The net result was only a six-point gain on his team-mate, trimming the championship gap to 25, while Verstappen sits 69 points adrift but suddenly with renewed hope.

‘Another twist with Piastri crash’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/max...5-piastri-out/


2025 F1 championship standings after Azerbaijan GP at Baku
Check out the full F1 championship standings after the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – held at the Baku City Circuit
21 September 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

F1 championship standings.

Oscar Piastri McLaren
McLaren F1 team 324

2 Lando Norris McLaren
McLaren F1 team 299

3 Max Verstappen Red Bull
Red Bull Racing 255

4 George Russell Mercedes
Mercedes AMG F1 212

5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari 165

6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari 121

7 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
Mercedes AMG F1 78

8 Alexander Albon Williams
Williams Racing 70

9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls 39

10 Nico Hulkenberg Stake
Stake F1 Team 37

‘Check out the full F1 championship standings’;

https://racingnews365.com/2025-f1-ch...jan-gp-at-baku