George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, seizing the top spot despite the fact that championship leader Kimi Antonelli was forced to halt his run due to a hydraulic failure. The British driver, who currently trails Antonelli by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship, must begin closing the gap to his teammate quickly if he hopes to keep the title fight alive and avoid an early conclusion to the season. His strong start in Baku could be a sign that the gap may start to narrow. Russell’s best lap was aided by a substantial slipstream from Fernando Alonso, allowing him to shave four‑tenths off the times of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and both Ferraris.
Even before that assisted lap, Russell had demonstrated impressive pace throughout the session, consistently running among the front‑runners and showing that his Mercedes is capable of challenging the usual front‑row contenders on this demanding street circuit. Antonelli, meanwhile, lost roughly 35 minutes of valuable track time after his car suffered a hydraulic issue that forced him to pull off the racing line.
The setback means the Italian will start the second practice session on the back foot, needing to recover lost data and confidence before qualifying on Friday. Despite his recent dominance—having won the previous two races—Baku is notorious for its high‑speed straights, tight corners, and unpredictable weather, all of which can quickly erode a sizeable points lead.
Antonelli’s 81‑point advantage over Russell, coupled with a 100‑plus point cushion over Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, could be tested heavily if the reliability concerns persist. "In terms of Kimi's session, FP1 is the least representative session, so that's a blessing," said 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 quickest laps on the medium‑compound tyres, indicating that they will be aiming for a strong qualifying performance on Friday and, ultimately, a shot at victory on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull, not to be outdone, arrived in Baku with a suite of new components, including a revised floor, updated side‑pods, and altered mirrors.
Verstappen appeared particularly quick on the hard tyres early in the session, suggesting that the team’s aerodynamic updates are already paying dividends. If you strip away the slipstream advantage that helped Russell on his fastest lap, the timing sheets still show Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari locked in a tight battle for the top positions. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris occupied sixth and fourteenth places respectively, both over a second slower than Russell despite having received aerodynamic upgrades aimed at improving high‑speed performance. Piastri at one point believed he had suffered damage to his car, but the team’s engineers found nothing apparent, while Norris has yet to unleash his full pace in the practice runs.
Isack Hadjar, who secured a contract extension with Red Bull through 2027, returned to the track for the first time since July after missing three race weekends with a wrist injury. Unfortunately, his comeback was hampered by an engine problem that cost him roughly 30 minutes of running time.
This development opened the door for Liam Lawson to step into the Racing Bulls lineup, where he launched from seventh on the grid, with teammate Arvid Lindblad slotting in eighth. Further down the order, Esteban Ocon—who is expected to lose his seat at Haas next season—finished ninth, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto claimed tenth.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session, but the incident had little impact on his overall track time, especially as the team introduced a significant upgrade package for the weekend. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed with action. On Thursday, September 24, the day will feature F2 qualifying at 10:55 am, a Team Bosses’ press conference at noon, the second practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 1 pm, and the F1 Show at 2:15 pm.
Friday, September 25, includes the F2 sprint at 5:10 am, the third practice session for the GP at 9:30 am, the F2 feature race at 11:10 am, a build‑up to qualifying at 12:30 pm, and the qualifying itself at 1 pm, followed by Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 3 pm. Saturday’s program features the second F2 feature race at 7:55 am, a Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix start at noon, with post‑race analysis and commentary throughout the afternoon. Sunday will wrap up the weekend with further reaction segments.
All of this will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract, allowing fans to cancel at any time. The Baku race, part of a triple‑header of events this week, promises high drama on its narrow streets and long straights, and the early practice results suggest a fiercely contested weekend ahead for drivers and teams alike.