George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting the fastest lap despite the challenging street circuit in Baku. The session was marked by an unexpected interruption for championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was forced to pull off the track after a hydraulic failure halted his car. 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 Mercedes driver seized the opportunity early in the day, benefitting from a substantial slipstream provided by Fernando Alonso on his best lap. This aerodynamic boost allowed Russell to edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and both Ferrari entries by roughly four tenths of a second, underscoring his raw pace on the Baku street layout. Even before that decisive lap, Russell had already demonstrated impressive speed, consistently running in the top tier of times throughout the session.
Antonelli’s day, on the other hand, took a dramatic turn when a hydraulic issue forced him to stop his car, costing him an estimated 35 minutes of valuable track time. The setback means the Italian will have to fight back in the second practice session scheduled for Thursday at 13:00, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Although Antonelli has won the previous two races, Baku is notoriously demanding, with its long straights, tight corners, and frequent safety‑car periods creating plenty of drama. Consequently, Antonelli is aware that his comfortable 81‑point cushion over Russell—and the even larger margins he holds over Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris—could quickly erode if reliability problems persist.
"In terms of Kimi’s session, FP1 is the least representative session, so that’s a blessing," noted Sky Sports F1 analyst Jamie Chadwick. "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." Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both posted their best times on the medium‑compound tyres, indicating that they will be eager to fight for pole position in Friday’s qualifying and to contend for victory on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull, meanwhile, introduced a suite of new components for the Baku weekend, including an updated floor, revised sidepods, and redesigned mirrors. Verstappen appeared particularly quick on the hard tyres early in the session, suggesting that the team’s aerodynamic upgrades are already paying dividends. When the slipstream effect from Alonso is removed from Russell’s fastest lap, the time gaps shrink, but the overall picture still shows Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari locked in a tight battle for the front of the grid.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified sixth and fourteenth respectively, both more than a second off Russell’s benchmark despite having received aerodynamic upgrades aimed at improving high‑speed performance. The team’s development focus this year has largely been on aerodynamic refinements that favor faster, less technical circuits, meaning they still have ample time to extract performance in the remaining practice sessions. At one stage, Piastri suspected he had sustained damage to his car, but the engineers found no visible issues, while Norris has yet to reveal his true pace.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who has secured a contract extension 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 suffered a 30‑minute loss of running because of an engine problem, limiting his ability to gauge the new parts. Liam Lawson, back with the Racing Bulls squad, launched from the start line in seventh place, with teammate Arvid Lindblad slotting in eighth. Esteban Ocon, whose future with Haas looks uncertain as the team is expected to release him after the season, 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 only a small amount of track time. The team, which has introduced a significant upgrade package for the weekend, will be hoping the fire does not indicate deeper reliability concerns.
The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed: Thursday 24 September features F2 qualifying at 10:55, a team bosses’ press conference at noon, and the second practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 13:00, followed by "The F1 Show" at 14:15. Friday 25 September includes the F2 sprint at 05:10, the third practice session at 09:30, the F2 feature race at 11:10, and the build‑up to qualifying at 12:30, with the actual qualifying session slated for 13:00. Saturday 26 September sees the second F2 feature race at 07:55, a Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself at 12:00, with post‑race analysis later in the afternoon.
All events will be streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1, with the option to watch via NOW without a long‑term contract. Overall, the first practice session in Baku set the tone for an eventful weekend.
Russell’s early speed, Antonelli’s reliability hiccup, and the introduction of new parts by Red Bull suggest a tightly contested race ahead. Teams will need to balance the demands of the high‑speed street circuit with the ever‑present risk of mechanical failures, and fans can expect plenty of on‑track action as the championship battle intensifies.