Verstappen tops final Azerbaijan practice ahead of Russell
Max Verstappen set the pace in the final practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, preventing George Russell from completing a clean sweep of practice in Baku. The Red Bull driver finished just ahead of Russell, with Lewis Hamilton close behind in third.
Verstappen was fastest in Free Practice 3 for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit. His late benchmark of 1:43.922 put him 0.099s clear of Russell in the hour-long session.
Russell, who had been quickest in the first two practice sessions, missed out on a full practice sweep. Hamilton ended the session third, only 0.012s behind Russell, with the top three covered by little more than a tenth.
Kimi Antonelli was fourth for Mercedes, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fifth. Multiple outlets described Mercedes as showing strong pace before Verstappen moved ahead late in the session.
In this story
Sources (8)
Summaries are synthesized by F1 Hub from the linked sources. Follow the links above to read the full reporting at each outlet.