George Russell delivered a commanding performance in the second practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, outpacing his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli and reinforcing Mercedes' early dominance this weekend. After topping the first practice earlier in the day, Russell continued his momentum by posting the fastest lap on the demanding Baku street circuit, carving out a half‑second advantage over Antonelli.
This result underscores Russell's consistency and the team's ability to extract peak performance from their car on a track that rewards precision and bravery. Antonelli, who currently leads the 2026 Drivers' Championship chase by 81 points, faced a challenging Thursday.
A hydraulic leak forced his car to stop abruptly midway through the opening session, cutting his running short. After an engine swap, the young Italian was only able to return to the track with just over half an hour remaining in the second practice. Despite the limited time, he managed to climb back up the order, ultimately finishing second, 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 secured third place in the upgraded Red Bull, but his gap to the Mercedes pair was roughly 0.8 seconds, highlighting the performance gap that still exists between the two leading teams.
The rest of the field trailed by more than a second, with the Ferraris and McLarens occupying the midfield. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took fourth and fifth respectively, while McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri filled the sixth and eighth slots.
Norris expressed frustration at the team's pace, describing McLaren's deficit to the front as "pretty pants." Pierre Gasly claimed seventh for Alpine, and the returning Isack Hadjar managed ninth in a Red Bull, followed by Esteban Ocon in tenth. Ocon's future with Haas appears uncertain for the 2027 season, adding an extra layer of intrigue to his performance. The only interruption to the session came when Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad crashed in the narrow castle section of the Baku circuit, prompting a red flag.
Russell, who fell more than three race wins behind Antonelli in Madrid, acknowledged that he is not realistically in contention for the championship at this stage, despite being the closest challenger to his teammate in the points tally. Nevertheless, he emphasized that he feels his form is returning. The last time Russell stood on a podium was at the Austrian Grand Prix in June, and he has now secured a podium finish in three of the past four years at Baku, indicating a strong affinity for this venue.
Sky Sports F1 analyst Jacques Villeneuve praised Russell after the session, noting, "He's driving well. Where he makes the difference is in all the narrow bits where the car needs to be precise.
Antonelli drives with more understeer, so pays a bit of a price there. It seems like a straight fight between the two Mercedes teammates." This observation points to the subtle handling differences that can be decisive on a circuit where a fraction of a second in the tight sections can separate the leaders from the rest. Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed. On Friday, September 25, the day begins with the F2 Sprint at 5:10 am, followed by the third practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 9:15 am (the session itself starts at 9:30 am).
Later, the F2 Feature Race 1 will run at 11:10 am, and the Grand Prix qualifying build‑up starts at 12:30 pm, leading into the official qualifying at 1:00 pm. The day concludes with Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm. Saturday, September 26, features the F2 Feature Race 2 at 7:55 am, a Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am, and the main event – the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – kicking off at noon.
The race will finish around 2:00 pm, followed by post‑race reactions and Ted's Notebook at 3:00 pm. All sessions are also broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to be a triple‑header weekend for Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix serving as the centerpiece. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time. As the weekend unfolds, the battle between Russell and Antonelli will be a focal point, especially as they vie for the top step on the podium and the valuable championship points that come with it.
The Baku street circuit, with its blend of high‑speed straights and tight, technical corners, promises to test driver skill and team strategy to the limit, making the upcoming race a must‑watch event for motorsport enthusiasts worldwide.