The battle for pole position takes top billing at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix today (Friday September 25) with a thrilling Qualifying session in prospect.

The streets of Baku will roar with the sound of F1 engines for 60 nerve-tingling minutes as the best 22 drivers in the world battle for grid spots in Saturday’s big race.

The grid will be set 24 hours earlier than usual this year with the entire race weekend schedule moved forward to avoid a clash with Azerbaijan Remembrance Day on Sunday September 27.

Mercedes go into this crucial session as favourites to dominate once again on a circuit which has long straights and demands power.

Kimi Antonelli takes an 81-point title race lead into this weekend, with team-mate George Russell his nearest challenger and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton 101 points away.

At this stage it is very much the 20-year-old Italian’s to lose, but they still do have to run the races. A strong Qualifying session would take him another big step closer to becoming the youngest world champion ever.

We have all the schedule and TV details for you ahead of this afternoon’s session.

Stream your favourite content with ExpressVPN and enjoy smooth, uninterrupted viewing. Click here to sign up to a secure network now.

F1 HEADLINES: Leclerc admits blame in Hamilton battle with star on verge of team exit

What time is F1 qualifying today?

Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place today (Friday September 25), starting at 4pm local time (1pm BST).

We’ve converted it to your local timezone where you are, all available in the table below:

Qualifying – Friday September 25, 2026

How to watch 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying live on TV today

As ever, the UK options are Sky F1 for live coverage or Channel 4 for free-to-air highlights, while Apple TV now have the US rights (free trial available).

Local fans can watch the action free of charge on Idman TV.

Where to watch: F1 2026 broadcasters by region

* – A free seven-day trial of Apple TV is available for fans in the US, allowing them to watch the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix for free this weekend.

F1TV Pro also carries coverage of the sport, depending on which territory you are in.

Please note if you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

READ MORE: Azerbaijan GP track safety fears delays qualifying session

Related

Esteban Ocon has admitted he is on the cusp of leaving F1 after admitting he has no deal in place to continue.

Ocon made his F1 debut in 2016 with the now defunct Manor team and aside from one year as a Mercedes test driver in 2019 has been on the grid full-time ever since.

But the Frenchman’s time in the sport could be coming to an end after he revealed that he did not have an F1 seat for 2027.

Right now, the 30-year-old is in his second season with Haas and while refusing to rule out a new deal with the team, he admits to assessing his options elsewhere.

F1 HEADLINES: The Ferrari plan to replace Hamilton’s boss as Domenicali pay revealed

Esteban Ocon’s uncertain F1 future

Ocon said: “Yes, at the moment I am definitely a free agent for next year.

“There are things in discussion that are out of my control and there are certain topics that are out of my control. So I will keep pushing until the end of the year and see how it goes.”

When asked on the Haas option to stay, Ocon remained coy stating: “Let’s see.”

Ocon has struggled this term, gaining only three points compared to Ollie Bearman’s 18.

More doubt surround Ocon’s future with Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu admitting that he had ‘five drivers’ in mind when assessing the team’s 2027 options.

The front runner at the moment appears to be F3 champion and current F2 title contender Rafael Camara, who has impressed not just Haas chief Gene Haas but also Ferrari, as part of their young driver development programme.

Haas are one of three teams yet to confirm their driver lineup for next year, although the team are likely to keep another Ferrari development driver in Bearman who has impressed in his two years with the team.

Ocon’s F1 career at a glance

After nine races with Manor, Ocon joined Force India for the next two seasons as they merged into the Racing Point, developing a huge intra-team rivalry with Sergio Perez.

Once Lawrence Stroll bought the team though, Ocon was replaced by Stroll’s son Lance, forcing him to take year out as a Mercedes reserve driver.

In 2020, he returned with Renault, staying with them as they became Alpine in 2021, the season where he took his only win after triumphing at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ocon left the team under a cloud at before the final race of the 2024 season following a heated rivalry with team-mate Pierre Gaslyand breakdown in relations with the team, before joining Haas for 2025.

Included with his one victory he has four podiums and a fastest lap from the 2024 United States Grand Prix from his 194 grands prix heading into this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

F1 SCHEDULE: Next race moved to new day, major questions remain as Iran war escalates

READ MORE: F1 broadcaster to miss first race in 28 years after schedule disaster

Related

Lewis Hamilton’s F1 title hopes have taken an almost fatal hit over the last month, but Ferrari are looking to finish the season strongly as they eye bringing further upgrades to the SF-26 in October.

The three grands prix in Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid in recent weeks went about as badly as they could have done for Hamilton and his title ambitions in 2026, with Kimi Antonelli scoring 73 points across the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix compared to Hamilton’s 22.

Now though, his SF-26 is set for a boost ahead of the conclusion to the 2026 campaign.

➡️ READ MORE

F1 approve controversial rule change as races set to be SHORTER in 2027

F1 have approved controversial plans to reduce the distance of grand prix races in 2027.

The third F1 Commission meeting of the year took place at the offices of the FIA in London on Monday ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The meeting was chaired by F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali and the FIA’s single-seat director Nikola Tombazis, with a number of key points having been discussed, including making races shorter.

➡️ READ MORE

Lewis Hamilton‘s Ferrari F1 boss branded ‘Napoleon’ who has an ‘allergy to Maranello’

The role of Ferrari team principal is one that comes with a huge amount of pressure attached to it, and unfortunately for Fred Vasseur, he’s facing the brunt of it right now.

Ferrari are an institution in Italy, and they are expected to win. When things go wrong in Maranello and that doesn’t happen, the Italian press are all over it.

➡️ READ MORE

Max Verstappen hails Lando Norris for helping fix huge F1 problem

Max Verstappen has congratulated his F1 rival Lando Norris for laying important foundations in motorsport.

F1 is a tough sport to get into. Really tough. The reason for this is not just because you have to have incredible talent to put in consistent super fast lap times and have the bravery to do so knowing just one small mistake can put you into a nasty accident.

That alone is far from easy. But for those drivers who even have those skills, they can still end up a million miles off ever having a serious motor racing career.

➡️ READ MORE

F1 insider calls for FIA rule change as championship-winning driver ‘too tall’ for current cars

Respected F1 insider Peter Windsor has called on the FIA to adjust its rules if F3 champion Ugo Ugochukwu is too tall for the current cars.

Ugochukwu, who turned 19 in April, has had a strong single-seater career so far, most recently winning the FIA F3 championship in Madrid last weekend.

➡️ READ MORE

Related