The 2025 Formula 1 season continues on the streets of Baku from 19–21 September for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Max Verstappen arrives fresh from victory at Monza, but it was McLaren’s team orders that dominated the headlines after Oscar Piastri was instructed to hand second place back to Lando Norris.
Piastri leads the drivers’ standings by 31 points with eight races remaining, but the controversy has added new tension to McLaren’s title battle as Formula 1 heads into its final third of the season.
Race and Session Times (BST)
The main Grand Prix begins at 12:00 BST on Sunday, 21 September.
Friday, 19 September:
First Practice: 09:30–10:30
Second Practice: 13:00–14:00
Saturday, 20 September:
Third Practice: 09:30–10:30
Qualifying: 13:00–14:00
Sunday, 21 September:
Race: 12:00
Weather Forecast
Conditions in Baku could be unpredictable, with light rain possible during Friday practice and Saturday morning’s running. Qualifying is expected to be dry with temperatures around 23°C. For Sunday’s 51-lap race, forecasts suggest sunshine with a high of 22°C and only a small chance of rain.
McLaren Closing on Constructors’ Title
McLaren are on course to seal back-to-back Constructors’ Championships and could mathematically clinch the title as early as this weekend. To be crowned champions in Baku, McLaren must outscore Ferrari by nine points, avoid being outscored by Mercedes by 12 or more, and by Red Bull by 33 or more. With a 31-point cushion between Piastri and Norris in the drivers’ battle, the team’s dominance is already reshaping the 2025 season.
Track Facts
The Baku City Circuit is one of Formula 1’s most unique venues, blending long straights with tight, twisting sections around the historic old town. Its combination of high-speed slipstream battles and punishing walls has produced some of the sport’s most chaotic races in recent years, making strategy, safety cars, and driver precision crucial. Fans can expect another dramatic chapter in the Piastri–Norris rivalry as McLaren aim to close out the Constructors’ title.
