George Russell delivered a commanding performance in the opening sessions of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, outpacing his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli and setting the tone for a promising weekend in Baku. After topping the first practice period, Russell continued his dominance in the second free‑practice, clocking a lap that was roughly half a second quicker than the best time set on the demanding street circuit. This margin underscored his confidence on the narrow, high‑speed layout that has produced both spectacular overtakes and dramatic incidents in recent years. Antonelli, who currently enjoys an 81‑point advantage over Russell in the 2026 Drivers' Championship hunt, faced a challenging Thursday.
A hydraulic leak forced his car to stop abruptly midway through the opening practice, costing him valuable track time. After the team replaced the engine, the young Italian was only able to return to the circuit with just over thirty minutes remaining in the session. Despite the limited window, he managed to climb back up the order, ultimately finishing second, just 0.552 seconds behind Russell. "We lost quite a few laps in FP1 and missing half of FP2 is never ideal, especially on a street circuit," Antonelli admitted.
"Overall, I feel like it was a good recovery. I feel quite good in the car. A few things to work on but looking forward to tomorrow." Max Verstappen secured third place, demonstrating the potential of the upgraded Red Bull package, though he still trailed the leading Mercedes duo by about 0.8 seconds.
The remainder of the field struggled to match the pace of the two Mercedes drivers. Both Ferraris and McLarens were more than a second off the leaders' times.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupied fourth and fifth positions respectively, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top eight, finishing sixth and eighth. Norris was candid about his team's performance gap, describing McLaren's deficit to the front as "pretty pants." Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed seventh, followed by Red Bull’s returning driver Isack Hadjar in ninth, and Haas driver Esteban Ocon in tenth.
Ocon’s future with Haas appears uncertain as the team looks toward a new driver lineup for 2027. The only red‑flag of the day was triggered by Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad, who crashed in the narrow castle section of the Baku circuit, briefly halting the session. Russell, who previously fell more than three race wins behind Antonelli in Madrid, acknowledged that his championship hopes are realistic only in the context of being the nearest challenger to his teammate in the points tally. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism about his form, noting that he has not stood on a podium since his victory at the Austrian Grand Prix in June.
Baku has been a fruitful venue for Russell in recent years, with three podium finishes in the last four editions, and he believes the weekend offers a solid platform to reignite his winning ways. Sky Sports F1 analyst Jacques Villeneuve praised Russell’s performance after the second practice, stating, "He's driving well. Where he makes the difference is in all the narrow bits where the car needs to be precise.
Antonelli drives with more understeer, so pays a bit of a price there. It seems like a straight fight between the two Mercedes teammates." The schedule for the weekend is packed. On Friday, September 25, the day begins with the F2 Sprint at 5:10 am, followed by the third practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at 9:15 am (the session itself starts at 9:30 am). Later that morning, the F2 Feature Race 1 takes place at 11:10 am, leading into the build‑up for the Grand Prix qualifying at 12:30 pm.
The official qualifying session is slated for 1:00 pm, with post‑qualifying analysis in Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm. Saturday, September 26, sees the second F2 Feature Race at 7:55 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am. The main event, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, kicks off at noon and runs until the chequered flag at 2:00 pm, after which reactions and analysis will be broadcast at 3:00 pm in Ted's Notebook. All sessions are also available live on Sky Sports Main Event.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marking the start of a triple‑header of races. Viewers can stream the coverage via NOW, with no long‑term contract required and the option to cancel at any time. This accessibility ensures fans can follow the high‑stakes action on the streets of Baku, where precision, speed, and strategy combine to produce one of the most thrilling spectacles on the modern F1 calendar.