Max Verstappen narrowly edged out George Russell in the final practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, ending Russell's chance of a clean sweep in the session. Russell had been the fastest driver in both earlier practice sessions held in Baku on Thursday. Verstappen took the top spot in the final running before qualifying, surpassing Russell by 0.099 seconds in the closing minutes of the session. This small but significant margin denied Russell the opportunity to dominate all three practice sessions ahead of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton finished third, just 0.100 seconds behind Verstappen, while Kimi Antonelli, the current championship leader, came in fourth. Antonelli had been sidelined on Thursday due to mechanical issues but was trying to make up for lost time. He trails Russell by 81 points in the title race, with nine rounds still to come. Antonelli’s time was 0.351 seconds slower than Verstappen’s, highlighting the tight competition in the championship. Charles Leclerc secured the fifth-fastest time, finishing ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. For McLaren, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were seventh and eighth respectively. The session provided a clear picture of the performance gaps between the top contenders and set the stage for the upcoming qualifying session. Qualifying for Saturday’s race is scheduled to take place at 16:00 local time (13:00 BST), with drivers aiming to secure the best starting positions for the main event. The final practice results have set the tone for what promises to be a highly competitive session, with Verstappen’s slight edge over Russell likely to be a key talking point as teams prepare for the crucial qualifying rounds.