George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting the fastest lap despite the fact that championship leader Kimi Antonelli was forced to halt his run after a hydraulic failure. Russell, who currently trails Antonelli by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship, must begin to close the gap to his teammate if he hopes to keep his title hopes alive, and his strong showing in Baku suggests he is intent on doing just that.
The Mercedes driver benefited from a substantial slipstream generated by Fernando Alonso on his best lap, allowing him to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and both Ferraris by roughly four tenths of a second. Even before that decisive lap, Russell demonstrated impressive pace throughout the session, consistently running among the top times. Antonelli’s day was marred by a significant setback when a hydraulic issue forced him to stop his car, costing him about 35 minutes of valuable track time. The interruption means he will start the second practice session on the back foot, having to make up lost minutes while his rivals continue to fine‑tune their setups.
The Italian, who has claimed victory in the two most recent races, faces a challenging circuit in Baku – a street layout known for its high speeds, tight corners, and frequent incidents – and he is well aware that his 81‑point advantage over Russell, as well as his more than 100‑point lead over Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, could be eroded quickly if reliability problems persist. "Regarding Kimi’s performance, the first practice session is the least indicative of true form, which is a relief for him," said Sky Sports F1 analyst Jamie Chadwick. "The bigger worry is the cause of the hydraulic failure.
We’ve heard reliability concerns about Mercedes earlier in the weekend, but the team seemed to have sorted those issues in recent races. This new problem will be the main story moving forward." Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted their best times on the medium‑compound tyres, indicating they will be aiming for a strong qualifying performance on Friday and a potential race win on Saturday. Red Bull, meanwhile, introduced several new components for the Baku weekend, including an updated floor, revised sidepods, and fresh mirrors. Verstappen looked particularly quick on the hard tyres early in the session, suggesting the team’s aerodynamic upgrades are paying off.
When the slipstream advantage is removed from Russell’s fastest lap, the timing sheets reveal that Red Bull remains a serious contender at the front of the grid, keeping pace with both Mercedes and Ferrari. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified sixth and fourteenth respectively, more than a second off Russell’s best time despite recent upgrades to their cars. McLaren’s recent development work has focused largely on aerodynamic enhancements that tend to deliver the greatest benefit on high‑speed, non‑street circuits. The team still has ample opportunity to extract performance from these upgrades across the remaining practice sessions.
At one point, Piastri suspected he had sustained damage to his car, but the engineers found no visible issues. Norris, on the other hand, has yet to unleash his full potential in Baku. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who secured a contract extension through 2027, returned to the track for the first time since July after missing the previous three race weekends due to a wrist injury. Unfortunately, his session was cut short by an engine problem that cost him roughly 30 minutes of running time.
This development opened the door for Liam Lawson to step back into the Racing Bulls line‑up, where he launched from seventh on the grid, with teammate Arvid Lindblad occupying eighth. Esteban Ocon, whose future with Haas looks uncertain as the team is expected to release him after the 2026 season, managed to finish ninth in the session. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto placed tenth, showcasing the growing competitiveness of the newcomer team.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session. The incident caused only a brief interruption, and the team’s extensive upgrade package for the weekend meant the setback had minimal impact on his overall track time. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed.
On Thursday, September 24, the program includes F2 qualifying at 10:55 am, a team bosses’ press conference at noon, the second practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 1:00 pm, followed by the F1 Show at 2:15 pm. Friday, September 25, features the F2 sprint at 5:10 am, the third practice session for the Grand Prix at 9:30 am, the F2 feature race at 11:10 am, and the build‑up to qualifying at 12:30 pm, with the actual qualifying session commencing at 1:00 pm. The day concludes with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm. Saturday’s agenda includes the second F2 feature race at 7:55 am, a pre‑race build‑up for the Azerbaijan GP at 10:30 am, and the Grand Prix itself starting at noon.
The race will be followed by a post‑race reaction segment at 2:00 pm and Ted’s Notebook at 3:00 pm. All events will also be streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to unfold on Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix serving as the centerpiece of a triple‑header weekend. Viewers can stream the action via NOW, enjoying a contract‑free experience with the option to cancel at any time. The combination of high‑speed street racing, technical upgrades, and the ever‑present reliability battles promises an exciting and unpredictable weekend in Baku.