Azerbaijan GP penalties have changed the starting grid after qualifying, with Carlos Sainz losing five places and Sergio Pérez receiving a penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri. Sainz will start from 14th, while Pérez remains in 20th.
Sainz had qualified ninth, securing Williams’ first Q3 appearance of the season, while Pérez had qualified 20th for Cadillac. The post-qualifying decisions also moved Valtteri Bottas up to 19th on the grid.
Azerbaijan GP penalties change the starting grid
Sainz’s penalty came after the stewards determined that the Williams driver had not reduced his speed sufficiently while approaching yellow flags during qualifying. The incident resulted in a five-place grid penalty and two penalty points on his super licence.
As a result, Sainz will move from ninth to 14th on the Azerbaijan GP grid. The penalty takes away a strong qualifying position, but his Q3 appearance remains an important result for Williams after the team had not previously reached the final qualifying session during the 2026 season.
Starting further back will change the challenge for Sainz on Saturday. The Baku City Circuit is known for its long straights and opportunities to overtake, meaning the starting position does not necessarily determine where a driver will finish. However, traffic, tyre management and the timing of pit stops can all become important when trying to recover places during the race.
Pérez received a different penalty following an incident involving Piastri. The Cadillac driver was investigated for driving too slowly and impeding the McLaren during a flying lap in qualifying. The stewards subsequently issued a penalty in relation to the incident.
Pérez had already qualified at the back of the field in 20th, meaning the decision does not result in a further change to his starting position. However, the incident adds another complication to Cadillac’s weekend as the team prepares for a race from the rear of the grid.
The different circumstances behind the two Azerbaijan GP penalties also highlight how incidents during qualifying can affect the final starting order even after the session has ended. While Sainz lost positions gained through his qualifying performance, Pérez’s penalty confirmed a difficult starting position that had already been established during the session.
Penalties benefit Bottas ahead of the Azerbaijan GP
The changes to the grid have also moved Valtteri Bottas further forward. Pérez’s Cadillac teammate had qualified 22nd, but will now start from 19th after gaining three positions through the penalties applied following qualifying.
Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were both penalised for exceeding their allocated power unit component quotas. Their penalties send them to the back of the grid and contribute to the changes in the final starting order.
As a result, the Azerbaijan GP grid looks different from the order established at the end of qualifying. Sainz will start 14th, Bottas 19th and Pérez 20th.
For Williams, the focus will be on recovering the positions lost by Sainz’s penalty. The team’s first Q3 appearance of the season showed competitive pace in Baku, but the starting position means the team will now need to rely on race strategy and overtaking opportunities.
For Cadillac, both drivers will start near the back of the field. Bottas gained three places, while Pérez remains 20th despite receiving his own penalty.
The Azerbaijan GP will take place on Saturday, September 26, with the race scheduled to start at 3pm local time in Baku. The event will run over 51 laps of the Baku City Circuit.
With the penalties now confirmed, the starting grid is set for the Azerbaijan GP. Sainz will face a recovery drive from 14th, while Pérez will start at the back alongside the other drivers affected by the post-qualifying decisions.
The race will now determine whether the changes made by the stewards translate into a different result on track.
