F1 teams face a demanding Baku energy test from September 24 through September 26 as the new 2026 power units return to the spotlight.
Formula 1 teams face a demanding energy-management test when the Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place from September 24 through September 26, with Baku’s circuit putting the new 2026 power units back under scrutiny.
Teams are focused on electrical energy deployment and fuel management across a lap that pairs slow corners with a long, high-speed run. Technical preparation for Baku is now a priority ahead of Round 15.
Baku presents a different calculation
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix comes after the Spanish Grand Prix, which Kimi Antonelli won in 1:34:23.754 on September 13. Max Verstappen finished 4.351 seconds behind, with Lando Norris third at 5.089 seconds.
Baku offers a very different circuit profile. The combination of low-speed sections and sustained full-throttle running forces teams to choose where electrical deployment delivers the best return while preserving enough energy for drivers across the lap.
That decision takes on added importance under the 2026 power-unit rules. Acceleration out of slow corners is critical, while the high-speed section places its own heavy demand on deployment.
Track running starts September 24.
Mercedes arrives in control of both championships
Mercedes travels to Azerbaijan with 10 wins from the first 14 grands prix. Antonelli has delivered eight of them, while George Russell won in Australia on March 8 and Austria on June 28.
Antonelli tops the drivers’ championship with 292 points. Russell sits second on 211, leaving the Italian with an 81-point lead after 14 rounds.
The championship leader has won in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco, Belgium, Italy and Spain. His latest result continued a run that has established Mercedes as the benchmark across several contrasting circuits.
Russell’s second place is safe for the moment, though the pack behind him is close. Lewis Hamilton is third with 191 points, Norris has 186 and Charles Leclerc is on 167. Verstappen holds sixth with 145, while Oscar Piastri is seventh on 120.
Energy-management decisions in Baku will have direct championship implications, particularly for the five drivers covered by 66 points between Russell in second and Piastri in seventh.
Ferrari and McLaren pursue another victory
Ferrari has two wins in 2026. Hamilton claimed the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on June 14, while Leclerc won the British Grand Prix on July 5.
A brake problem ended Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix, leaving Ferrari without points from the driver who arrived at that round third in the standings. Leclerc stays fifth, 24 points behind Hamilton.
McLaren also has two victories, both delivered by Norris. He won in Hungary on July 26, then followed it with another victory in the Netherlands on August 23.
Norris started the Spanish Grand Prix from pole and finished third. He enters Azerbaijan five points behind Hamilton and 25 behind Russell, while Piastri trails his teammate by 66 points.
Baku offers Ferrari and McLaren another opportunity to stop Mercedes’ winning run. Antonelli has taken the past two rounds, winning first at Monza on September 6 and then in Spain seven days later.
Verstappen faces a steep points deficit
Verstappen moved to 145 points with second place in Spain, but he still trails Antonelli by 147. He is 66 points behind Russell.
The Red Bull driver has stood on the podium in Canada, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Spain, but he has yet to win through the opening 14 races. Isack Hadjar ranks eighth with 71 points, putting both Red Bull drivers inside the top eight.
Liam Lawson follows in ninth on 59 points, with Pierre Gasly 10th on 41. Arvid Lindblad has 31 points in 11th, four more than Franco Colapinto.
Hadjar’s recovery is also drawing attention before the Baku weekend. Red Bull has said there is “Nothing wrong with his recovery,” after the French driver’s injury raised concern ahead of the next round.
Nine rounds remain on the calendar
Azerbaijan starts a stretch of nine remaining events. Bahrain comes next from October 2 through October 4, before Singapore from October 9 through October 11.
The championship then heads to the United States from October 23 through October 25. Mexico follows from October 30 through November 1, with Brazil running from November 6 through November 8.
Las Vegas takes place from November 19 through November 21. Qatar is next from November 27 through November 29, and the season concludes in Abu Dhabi from December 4 through December 6.
Antonelli enters that run with the biggest points advantage, while Mercedes has recorded five wins in the opening six rounds and another five across the next eight.
Track action comes next
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend is set for September 24 through September 26, giving teams their first competitive chance to put their Baku energy-management plans into practice.
Practice begins on September 24, with the second session later the same day. Final practice and qualifying are scheduled for September 25, followed by the race on September 26.
