George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clocking the fastest lap as the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, was forced to halt his run due to a hydraulic malfunction. Russell, who trails Antonelli by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship, must begin closing the gap to his teammate if he hopes to keep his title hopes alive, and his strong showing in Baku is an encouraging sign. The Mercedes pilot benefitted from a substantial slipstream created by Fernando Alonso on his best lap, allowing him to edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and both Ferraris by roughly four-tenths of a second. Even before that, Russell displayed impressive pace throughout the early portions of the session, signalling that the car’s low‑down‑force setup is well‑suited to Baku’s long straights and tight city‑centre sections.
Antonelli’s day was disrupted when a hydraulic issue forced him to stop after about 35 minutes of track time, leaving him at a disadvantage heading into the second practice session scheduled for Thursday at 13:00 GMT, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The Italian, who has claimed victory in the previous two races, knows that Baku is one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar, often producing unexpected drama.
Consequently, he remains cautious about his sizable 81‑point lead over Russell and the even larger margins—over 100 points—he enjoys against Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, which could erode quickly if reliability problems persist. "Regarding Kimi’s performance, the first practice session is generally the least indicative of true pace, so that works in his favour," commented Jamie Chadwick of Sky Sports F1. "The bigger worry is the underlying cause of the hydraulic fault. Earlier in the weekend, reliability was a hot topic for Mercedes, but the team seemed to have resolved most issues in recent races.
This incident could reignite concerns about the durability of their power unit and chassis components." Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted their quickest laps on the medium‑compound tyres, suggesting they will be keen to challenge for pole position in Friday’s qualifying and aim for the race win on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull, meanwhile, introduced several new aerodynamic components for Baku, including an updated floor, revised sidepods and altered mirrors.
Verstappen appeared very quick on the hard tyres early in the session, hinting that the team’s upgrades are paying off. If the slipstream advantage that helped Russell achieve his best time is removed, the front‑running order appears to be a close battle among Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified sixth and fourteenth respectively, both more than a second off Russell’s pace despite having introduced their own aerodynamic upgrades.
These changes are expected to deliver greater benefit on high‑speed, non‑street circuits, and the team still has ample time to refine their package across the remaining practice sessions. At one point, Piastri suspected he had sustained damage to his car, but the team’s engineers found no visible issues. Norris, on the other hand, has yet to demonstrate his full speed potential, leaving room for improvement before qualifying.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, confirmed to remain with the team through 2027, returned for the first time since July after missing three race weekends due to a wrist injury. Unfortunately, he also lost around 30 minutes of running because of an engine problem, further limiting his track time. Liam Lawson, who rejoined the Racing Bulls lineup, launched from the start line in seventh place, with teammate Arvid Lindblad close behind in eighth. Esteban Ocon, whose future with Haas looks uncertain as the team is expected to release him for 2027, managed ninth, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top ten in tenth place.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session, but the incident cost him little running time. The team has introduced a significant upgrade package for the weekend, which should help mitigate any lingering performance gaps. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed: Thursday, 24 September, includes F2 qualifying at 10:55, the Team Bosses’ press conference at 12:00, the second practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 12:30 (starting at 13:00), and The F1 Show at 14:15. Friday, 25 September, features the F2 sprint at 5:10, the third practice session at 9:15 (starting at 9:30), the F2 feature race at 11:10, the build‑up to qualifying at 12:30, and the Azerbaijan GP qualifying at 13:00, followed by Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 15:00.
Saturday, 26 September, includes the second F2 feature race at 7:55, the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30, the main race at 12:00, the chequered‑flag reaction at 14:00, and Ted’s Notebook at 15:00. All events will also be streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to unfold on a Saturday race weekend, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix forming part of a triple‑header of races. Viewers can watch the action live via Sky Sports F1, accessible through the NOW streaming service without a long‑term contract and with the option to cancel at any time.