F1 Baku 2017: Starting grid, lineup for Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas combined for a front-row lockout in qualifying for the 2017 Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix from Baku. Hamilton posted the fastest qualifying time and was the only driver to to get under 1:41 on his lap time.

Sunday’s race will get underway at 9 a.m. ET from Baku City Circuit. It will be broadcast in the United States on NBCSN, with a livestream online available via NBC Sports. That stream will be available via web browsers or the NBC Sports app on smart devices.

Hamilton trails Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari in the Drivers Championship, owning 129 points to Vettel’s 141. There are other drivers still in the running, including Bottas and Vettel’s teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, and Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull isn’t far behind either.

It’s not easy to overtake in Baku, and Vettel’s engine is under-performing on the weekend. Hamilton’s, on the other hand, is doing quite well and smart money is on him closing the gap to Vettel in the standings.

Drivers had trouble keeping temperature in their tires in all weekend, and that made qualifying plenty interesting. A red flag in the third qualifying session made things even more tense, with two laps to heat the tires impossible.

“After the red flag there was a lot of pressure on that final lap,” Hamilton said. “All weekend we’ve struggled to switch the car on over a single lap, but it was an all or nothing moment so I just gave it everything I had.”

With Bottas accompanying him on the front row, Mercedes stands a good chance to increase its eight-point lead in the Constructors Championship over Ferrari.

Vettel qualified in fourth, behind Raikkonen. Max Verstappen of Red Bull is in fifth, with the two Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon just behind. Then there’s the Williams cars of Lance Stroll, the rookie, and Felipe Massa, the unretired veteran and finally, Ricciardo.

Ricciardo had troubles in the third qualifying session, prompting the aforementioned red flag. He’ll start in 10th but the Red Bulls have consistently been better than the Williams cars, though the Force India cars ahead of them have been tough to pass all season.

Jolyon Palmer of Renault will start from the back of the grid after he failed to set a time due to engine troubles in the third practice session. Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne of McLaren will join Palmer at the back due to 30- and 40-place grid penalties for changes to the car.

And those changes have done little to help, with Honda reverting some of them due to reliability issues. Reliability has been a problem all season, and once again the McLarens will likely finish outside of the points.

Below is all you need to know to watch as well as the starting grid for Sunday’s action.

Date: June 25, 2017

Location: Baku City Circuit, Baku

Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Online Streaming: NBC Sports Live