George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting the fastest lap as the championship frontrunner, Kimi Antonelli, was forced to pull off the track due to a hydraulic failure. Russell, who currently trails Antonelli by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship, needs to start closing the gap to his teammate soon if he hopes to keep the title fight alive and prevent an early resolution to the season-long battle. The Mercedes driver benefited from a substantial slipstream generated by Fernando Alonso on his best lap, allowing him to edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as well as both Ferrari entries by roughly four-tenths of a second.
Even before that decisive lap, Russell had demonstrated impressive pace throughout the session, hinting at a strong weekend ahead. Antonelli’s day was dramatically interrupted when a hydraulic issue forced him to stop after just 35 minutes of track time.
The setback will leave him playing catch‑up in the second practice session scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m., which will be 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. Its tight street‑section combined with high‑speed straights often produces unexpected drama, and Antonelli is keenly aware that his comfortable 81‑point lead over Russell – and a staggering 100‑plus point advantage over Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris – could be eroded quickly if reliability problems persist. "In terms of Kimi's session, FP1 is the least representative session, so that's a blessing," commented Jamie Chadwick of Sky Sports F1.
"The bigger concern is why they had the issue. 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." Meanwhile, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc set their quickest times on the medium‑compound tyres, signalling that they will be eager to fight for pole position in Friday’s qualifying and, ultimately, the race win on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull, on the other hand, arrived in Baku with a suite of new components – a revised floor, updated side‑pods and fresh mirrors – and Verstappen looked exceptionally quick on the hard tyres early in the session. Stripping away the advantage Russell gained from Alonso’s slipstream, the Red Bull package appears competitive enough to keep the team in the front‑running mix alongside Mercedes and Ferrari.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified sixth and fourteenth respectively, both more than a second off Russell’s best time despite having introduced aerodynamic upgrades. Those upgrades are primarily aimed at high‑speed, non‑street circuits, meaning McLaren will have ample opportunity to refine their performance over the remaining practice periods.
At one stage, Piastri suspected he had sustained damage to the car, but the team found nothing visible. Norris, meanwhile, has yet to reveal his true speed potential. Red Bull’s reserve driver Isack Hadjar, confirmed to stay with the team through 2027, returned to action for the first time since July after missing the previous three race weekends due to a wrist injury. Unfortunately, he also lost roughly 30 minutes of running after encountering an engine problem.
This development paved the way for Liam Lawson to step back into the Racing Bulls lineup, 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 part ways with him after the season, managed to finish ninth, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto secured tenth place.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session; however, the incident cost him little track time, and the team has introduced a significant upgrade package that could prove beneficial later in the weekend. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed: Thursday, 24 September, features F2 qualifying at 10:55 a.m., a team bosses’ press conference at noon, and the second practice session for the Azerbaijan GP beginning at 1 p.m., followed by "The F1 Show" at 2:15 p.m. Friday, 25 September, includes the F2 sprint at 5:10 a.m., the third practice session for the GP at 9:15 a.m., the F2 feature race at 11:10 a.m., and the build‑up to qualifying at 12:30 p.m., with the actual qualifying session kicking off at 1 p.m.
Saturday, 26 September, sees the second F2 feature race at 7:55 a.m., the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 a.m., and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself starting at noon, followed by post‑race analysis and commentary throughout the afternoon. All of this action will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract, allowing viewers to cancel at any time. The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to deliver excitement, and the Baku street circuit promises to add another thrilling chapter to the championship narrative.