Antonelli takes 81-point lead into Saturday showdown in Baku
Kimi Antonelli rolls into Baku with a firm grip on the 2026 title race. The Mercedes driver won the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madring to stretch his championship lead to 81 points, and now faces round 15 in Azerbaijan on 24-26 September BBC Sport.
It was a costly afternoon in Madrid for his closest rivals. McLaren's Lando Norris took pole but dropped to third after losing ground during a virtual safety car period, when the field must slow to a set pace and pit stops cost less time. Red Bull's Max Verstappen came home second, after handing a position back to Lewis Hamilton early in the race.
Next up is Baku, and it will feel different. The 51-lap race starts at 12:00 BST on Saturday 26 September, which is 3pm local time. Practice runs on Thursday, qualifying and the race follow on Friday and Saturday, in a Thursday-to-Saturday weekend.
This is the first time the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is being held on a Saturday. Formula 1 said the shift came after a request from the local promoter and government stakeholders. The reason is solemn. Sunday 27 September is Azerbaijan Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning for military personnel who died during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020.
Baku has bounced around the calendar before. Until 2024 it was held in the first half of the year, before it swapped places with Japan and moved to September.
The circuit itself is a glorious contradiction. There is a long, flat-out blast along the Baku shoreline, wide enough for cars to run three abreast into Turn 1. Then it dives into the narrow, winding streets of Icheri Sheher, the old town, and squeezes past the medieval city walls Formula 1.
That leaves teams with a headache. They must choose between downforce, the aerodynamic grip that helps in the twisty bits, and less drag for top speed on the straight. Get it wrong and you are either sitting still on the straight or sliding in the castle section. Get it right and you can attack from a long way back.
For fans, this means jeopardy. Baku rewards bravery and punishes the smallest error, with walls close and overtaking very possible. An 81-point lead sounds comfortable. It can shrink fast here.
BBC coverage runs across the weekend on radio and online. First practice is 09:30-10:30 BST on Thursday 24 September on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, with second practice at 13:00-14:00 BST on Sports Extra 2. Third practice is 09:30-10:30 BST on Friday 25 September, followed by qualifying at 13:00-14:00 BST, both on 5 Sports Extra. Build-up to the race starts at 11:00 BST on Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live, with commentary also on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. For the first time in 2026, the Chequered Flag post-race show for every grand prix is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
