Here's the thing: Formula 1 is about to hit warp speed with three consecutive triple headers to close out the year, and it all starts at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Round 15 of the season. Kimi Antonelli currently holds the championship lead, but the championship momentum is about to get properly tested on the streets of Baku.
First up, let's look at Red Bull. Isack Hadjar has been sidelined since injuring his wrist during the summer shutdown, missing Zandvoort, Monza, and Madrid. Liam Lawson has been filling in for him, while Yuki Tsunoda has been driving for VCARB. Red Bull refuses to rush Hadjar back without full recovery, but with two weeks between events, there is an increasing chance he might slide back into his seat this weekend. Returning straight into a triple header is no joke, though, so we will have to watch for updates.
Down the pit lane, Williams is bringing an upgrade package they have talked about months in advance. It has been a rough year for them, sitting ninth in the constructors' standings with Audi six points ahead and Haas another four points further up. If these new parts can regularly put them in the points, those teams are suddenly within reach. Mercedes, meanwhile, arrives with Antonelli fresh off two straight wins. They have been slower to bring upgrades than their rivals after prioritizing their dominant launch car, but they confirmed new parts coming for Malaysia, meaning they will have to weather the heat from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull once more.
The driver market, however, is moving at a snail's pace. Aside from Max Verstappen's contract extension and the Williams line-up staying put ahead of Zandvoort, things have gone quiet. Haas still has an unconfirmed line-up, having tested Ryo Hirakawa, Rafael Camara, Leonardo Fornaroli, and Jack Doohan over the last month. Fernando Alonso's future for 2027 remains unannounced, and Racing Bulls could still see movement before the dust settles.
Mark your calendar because the schedule is completely shifted for Baku. The race takes place on Saturday instead of Sunday to avoid clashing with the country's Remembrance Day on September 27. Media duties start Wednesday, practice on Thursday, qualifying on Friday, and the Grand Prix on Saturday. Marking 10 years since F1 first raced here in 2016, the tight castle section and massive straight leading to Turn 1 guarantee chaos right down to the final meters.
To top it all off, Formula 2 is bringing a chaotic double-feature format to the Baku City Circuit, featuring two qualifying sessions on Thursday, an early morning sprint on Friday, a feature race before F1 qualifying, and the second feature race right before Saturday's Grand Prix. Nikola Tsolov leads the standings by just seven points over Rafael Camara, with Alpine juniors Gabriele Mini 24 points back and Alex Dunne 38 points adrift. It's going to be wild.
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