George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, delivering a strong statement for Mercedes as the weekend got underway in the streets of Baku. The British driver managed to set the fastest time despite a challenging track layout and a competitive field, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered a setback when a hydraulic fault forced his car to stop on the circuit, costing him valuable track time.
Russell, who currently trails Antonelli by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship, knows that the gap cannot remain static for long if he hopes to keep his title hopes alive. The early pace he displayed in Baku suggests that he is beginning to close the distance to his teammate, a crucial step in preventing the championship from slipping away prematurely. His best lap was aided by a powerful slipstream from Fernando Alonso, which gave him the extra speed needed to out‑lap Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and both Ferraris by roughly four‑tenths of a second. Even before that assisted lap, Russell had already shown impressive single‑lap speed, indicating that the Mercedes package is coming together for the high‑speed street circuit.
Antonelli’s session, on the other hand, was dramatically curtailed when a hydraulic issue emerged, forcing the Italian driver to pull off the track and lose approximately 35 minutes of running time. The loss not only hampered his ability to fine‑tune the car for the next practice but also placed him at a disadvantage heading into the second practice session scheduled for Thursday at 13:00 GMT. Antonelli has been dominant in the opening rounds, winning the previous two races, but Baku is notorious for its unforgiving nature and frequent surprises.
With an 81‑point lead over Russell and a more than 100‑point cushion ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, the Italian champion cannot afford to become complacent; a single reliability glitch could quickly erode his advantage. "In terms of Kimi's session, FP1 is the least representative session, so that's a blessing," remarked Sky Sports F1 analyst Jamie Chadwick. She added that the bigger story is the cause of the problem: "We knew reliability was a big talking point for Mercedes earlier in the session; it seems to have been in a much better place the last few races especially, but that's going to be the biggest concern." While Chadwick focused on Mercedes, the same logic applies to Red Bull and Ferrari, whose own technical updates will be under scrutiny as the weekend progresses. Other front‑runners also posted competitive times.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both topped the medium‑compound tyre sector, suggesting they will be in the mix for pole position on Friday and will aim for the race win on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull arrived in Baku with a suite of new aerodynamic components, including a revised floor, updated side‑pods and fresh mirror designs. Verstappen, running on the hard tyre early in the session, looked very quick, hinting that the team’s upgrades could pay dividends on the long straightaways that define the circuit.
If you strip away the slipstream advantage that helped Russell on his best lap, the picture that emerges is one of a tightly contested front pack, with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari all capable of challenging for the top step. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were positioned sixth and fourteenth respectively, more than a second off Russell’s pace despite recent aerodynamic upgrades aimed at improving high‑speed performance.
Piastri briefly feared he had sustained damage to the car, but the team found no visible issues. Norris, meanwhile, has yet to reveal his true speed, leaving his weekend performance still to be determined. Red Bull’s reserve driver Isack Hadjar, confirmed to stay with the team through 2027, returned to the track 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 data collection.
This development opened the door for Liam Lawson to step into the Racing Bulls line‑up, where he launched from the start line in seventh place, with teammate Arvid Lindblad close behind in eighth. Further down the order, Esteban Ocon, whose future with Haas looks uncertain as the team is expected to release him for the 2027 season, managed to finish ninth. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto secured tenth place, showing that the newcomer is gaining valuable experience in the sport. Williams driver Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session, but the incident caused only a brief interruption, and the team still managed to test a significant upgrade package they have brought to Baku.
The weekend schedule is packed with action beyond the F1 sessions. On Thursday, September 24, the day begins with the F2 qualifying at 10:55 am, followed by the team bosses’ press conference at noon, and then the second practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at 1:00 pm.
The F1 Show airs at 2:15 pm. Friday, September 25, features the F2 sprint at 5:10 am, the third practice session for the Grand Prix at 9:15 am, the F2 feature race at 11:10 am, and the build‑up to qualifying at 12:30 pm, before the actual qualifying session commences at 1:00 pm. The day concludes with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm.
Saturday, September 26, includes the second F2 feature race at 7:55 am, the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am, and the main event – the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – starting at noon, followed by the chequered flag ceremony at 2:00 pm and post‑race analysis at 3:00 pm. All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and can be streamed via NOW with a flexible, no‑contract subscription.
In summary, the opening practice in Baku set the tone for a weekend of high stakes and intense competition. Russell’s early speed, Antonelli’s reliability hiccup, and the fresh upgrades from Red Bull and Ferrari suggest that the championship battle will remain alive and unpredictable. Fans can look forward to a thrilling qualifying session on Friday and a race on Saturday that could reshape the points standings, especially if any of the leading teams encounter technical gremlins similar to those that hampered Antonelli.
The combination of street‑circuit challenges, evolving car packages, and strategic tyre choices promises a captivating spectacle for the 2026 Formula 1 season.