Report: First Q3 appearance of the season secured in Baku qualifying
Atlassian Williams F1 Team make a big step forward in qualifying with the new package – Carlos will start P9, with Alex in P13
Published
25 SEP 2026
Est. reading time
2 min
Atlassian Williams F1 Team returned to the top 10 shootout for the first time this season after a strong qualifying hour saw Carlos Sainz claim P9 with Alex Albon in P13.
Carlos set our early pace with a strong first lap to move up to P7, while Alex had his effort deleted after catching a gust of wind at turn 16 and running wide.
A brief yellow flag followed as Kimi Antonelli found the escape road after hitting the wall, ending his session. Both drivers pitted for fresh softs before their final attempts.
The last Q1 runs saw both cars comfortably progress, Carlos in P8 and Alex in P9 on the timesheet, just 0.165 seconds apart.
Q2 began with the same approach – fresh softs and a double build lap, a tactic that had worked well in Q1. Both drivers went straight to the top of the midfield with their first times, Carlos on a 1:44.849 and Alex on a 1:45.019.
A second set of new tyres was called for ahead of the final pushes, with both cars up in P9 and P11 as the session ticked down. The team found itself waiting on the Alpines to set their final times before knowing where the duo stood.
Carlos’ 1:44.629 ensured he progressed in P9, whilst Alex’s 1:45.001 saw him miss out in P13.
Carlos went out for the Q3 shootout on a set of softs already four laps old, the only driver to do so on used tyres and he was P9 at the end of his first attempt.
Our Spanish racer backed up his opening Q3 lap of 1:45.091 with a strong final effort on fresh softs, crossing the line in P9 with a 1:44.566 – and with time still on the table, having had to lift for a yellow flag caused by Norris.
"Good job, proud of you!” he shared over the radio, adding: “For being competitive, for bringing the package, and for good communications. Very good job from everyone here."
Carlos will start Sunday's race from P9, with Alex lining up P13, as the team looks to build on its strongest qualifying performance of the season.
Full reaction to follow.
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