George Russell delivered a commanding performance across the two practice sessions on the streets of Baku, outpacing his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli and setting the tone for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. After topping the first practice session, Russell returned to the track for the second session and extended his advantage to roughly half a second, demonstrating both speed and consistency on the demanding circuit. Mercedes driver Russell capitalised on his earlier momentum, posting the fastest lap of the day and cementing his position at the top of the timesheet.
His lap time was a full 0.5 seconds quicker than the next fastest car, a remarkable margin on a track that tests a car's aerodynamic balance and driver precision. Antonelli, who currently leads the 2026 Drivers' Championship by 81 points, faced a setback when a hydraulic leak forced his car to stop midway through the opening practice. The issue curtailed his running in FP1, costing him valuable track time.
After an engine change, the Italian returned to the circuit with just over half an hour left in the second session. Despite the limited window, Antonelli managed to climb back up the order, ultimately finishing second, 0.552 seconds behind Russell.
He acknowledged the difficulty of losing laps early in the weekend, especially on a street circuit where every corner demands exacting lines. "We lost quite a few laps in FP1 and missing half of FP2 is never ideal, especially on a street circuit," Antonelli said. "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, driving an upgraded Red Bull, secured third place, ending the day in a solid podium position despite being about 0.8 seconds off the pace of the Mercedes duo.
The rest of the field trailed by more than a second, with the Ferraris and McLarens unable to close the gap. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupied fourth and fifth respectively, while McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were sixth and eighth.
Norris was blunt about his team's performance, describing the gap to the leaders as "pretty pants". Further down the order, Alpine's Pierre Gasly claimed seventh, Red Bull's returning Isack Hadjar took ninth, and Haas driver Esteban Ocon, whose seat is expected to change for 2027, rounded out the top ten in tenth place. The only interruption to the session came when Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad crashed in the narrow castle section of the Baku circuit, prompting a red flag.
Russell, who fell more than three race wins behind Antonelli after the Madrid round, admitted that a realistic championship challenge remains out of reach at this stage. Nevertheless, he highlighted his confidence in returning to race‑winning form, a feat he has not achieved since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. His recent podium finishes in Baku – three of the last four years – underline his affinity for the circuit. Commentators noted Russell's precise handling in the tight sections of the track, where understeer can be costly.
Sky Sports F1 analyst Jacques Villeneuve observed, "He's driving well. Where he makes the difference is 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 weekend schedule is packed, beginning with a F2 sprint on Friday morning, followed by the third practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 9:15 am.
Later that day, the F2 feature race and the Grand Prix qualifying session are slated, with qualifying set for 1:00 pm. Saturday features the second F2 feature race and the main Grand Prix, which will start at noon local time. The race will conclude with a chequered‑flag reaction segment in the early afternoon, and additional analysis will be provided in Ted's qualifying notebook and notebook segments. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to deliver a triple‑header of races, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises high‑speed drama on Baku's iconic streets, where precision, strategy, and raw speed will determine who emerges victorious.