George Russell delivered a commanding performance in the second practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, comfortably outpacing his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli and reinforcing Mercedes' early dominance this weekend. After topping the first practice hour, Russell returned to the Baku street circuit with a clear advantage, posting a lap time that was roughly half a second quicker than Antonelli's best effort. The narrow, high‑speed layout of Baku, with its long straight and tight sections around the historic castle, demands absolute precision, and Russell seemed to have found the perfect balance between speed and stability. Antonelli, who currently enjoys an 81‑point lead over Russell in the battle for the 2026 Drivers' Championship, faced a disrupted Thursday.
A hydraulic leak forced his car to stop mid‑session during the opening practice, costing him valuable track time. After an engine swap, the Italian driver managed to re‑enter the session with just over half an hour remaining.
Despite the limited window, he quickly climbed the order, ultimately securing second place on the timesheet, 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, driving an upgraded Red Bull, completed the top three, finishing third but still trailing the Mercedes pair by around 0.8 seconds. The rest of the field was more than a second off the pace, highlighting the gap between the leading team and the rest of the pack. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took fourth and fifth respectively, while McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri occupied sixth and eighth positions. Norris was candid about his team's performance, describing McLaren's deficit to the front as "pretty pants".
Further down the order, Alpine's Pierre Gasly secured seventh, Red Bull's returning Isack Hadjar posted ninth, and Haas driver Esteban Ocon—whose seat is rumored to be up for grabs for 2027—rounded out the top ten in tenth place. The session was briefly halted when Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad crashed in the narrow castle section, prompting the only red flag of the day.
Russell, who had fallen more than three race wins behind Antonelli after the Madrid round, acknowledged that he is not in a realistic championship fight at this stage, even though he remains Antonelli's nearest challenger in the points standings. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in his form, noting that he feels capable of winning races again—a feat he has not achieved since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. His recent record at Baku is impressive, having stood on the podium in three of the last four Azerbaijan Grands Prix.
Sky Sports' former champion Jacques Villeneuve praised Russell's performance after the session, stating, "He's driving well. Where he makes the difference is in all the narrow bits where the car needs to be precise. Antonelli tends to have a bit more understeer, so he pays a price there.
It seems like a straight fight between the two Mercedes teammates." This assessment underscores the subtle but crucial differences in car setup and driver style that can dictate lap times on a circuit as unforgiving as Baku. Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed. On Friday, September 25, the F2 Sprint will kick off at 5:10 am, followed by the third practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 9:15 am (with the official start at 9:30 am). The F2 Feature Race 1 is slated for 11:10 am, leading into the qualifying build‑up at 12:30 pm and the official qualifying session at 1:00 pm.
The day will conclude with Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm. Saturday, September 26, will see the F2 Feature Race 2 at 7:55 am, the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am, and the main event—the Azerbaijan Grand Prix—starting at noon. The race will finish around 2:00 pm, followed by post‑race analysis and Ted's Notebook at 3:00 pm. All sessions will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
For viewers, Sky Sports F1 will provide live coverage of the 2026 Formula 1 season throughout the week, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marking the start of a triple‑header of races. Fans can stream the action via NOW, enjoying the flexibility of a no‑contract subscription that can be cancelled at any time. The combination of a high‑stakes championship battle, a challenging street circuit, and the intense rivalry between Russell and Antonelli promises an exciting weekend for motorsport enthusiasts.