George Russell delivered a commanding performance in the opening sessions of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting the fastest time and leaving his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli in his wake. After topping the first practice session earlier in the day, Russell continued his momentum in the second free‑practice, posting a lap that was roughly half a second quicker around Baku's demanding street circuit. This solidified his position at the top of the timing sheets and underscored his readiness to challenge for podium finishes in the upcoming race.
Antonelli, who currently enjoys an 81‑point lead over Russell in the 2026 Drivers' Championship, faced a difficult Thursday. A hydraulic leak forced his car to stop mid‑session during the opening practice, cutting his running time dramatically. After a rapid engine swap, the Italian was only able to return to the track with just over half an hour remaining in the second session.
Despite the limited time, he managed to climb back up to second place on the leaderboard, ultimately finishing 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 after the session. "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." His comments highlighted both the frustration of the early setback and his optimism about the car's handling after the quick fix. Max Verstappen secured third place in the session, driving an upgraded Red Bull that appears to be returning to its competitive edge. However, he remained almost a full second behind the Mercedes duo, indicating that the gap to the front runners is still significant on this particular circuit.
The rest of the field trailed by more than a second. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and former champion Lewis Hamilton occupied fourth and fifth spots respectively, while McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri filled the sixth and eighth positions. Norris humorously described McLaren's gap to the leaders as "pretty pants," reflecting the team's awareness of the performance deficit. Alpine's Pierre Gasly claimed seventh, and Red Bull's returning driver Isack Hadjar managed ninth.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon, whose future with the team looks uncertain beyond 2026, rounded out the top ten. A brief interruption to the proceedings occurred when Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad crashed in the narrow castle section of the Baku circuit, prompting the only red flag of the day. Reflecting on his position in the championship, Russell acknowledged that, despite being the nearest challenger to Antonelli in the points tally, he is not realistically in contention for the title at this stage.
He fell more than three race wins behind Antonelli after the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, and the points gap underscores the uphill battle he faces. Nevertheless, Russell 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 podium streak in Baku, with three podiums in the last four years, suggests he knows how to extract strong results from this circuit.
Sky Sports F1 analyst Jacques Villeneuve praised Russell after the second practice, stating, "He's driving well. Where he makes the difference is in the narrow sections where the car needs to be precise.
Antonelli tends to have a bit more understeer, which costs him a little time. It looks like a straight fight between the two Mercedes teammates." The weekend schedule is packed with action. 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 kicks off at 11:10 am, with the GP qualifying build‑up at 12:30 pm, and the official qualifying session at 1:00 pm.
The day concludes with Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm. Saturday, September 26, continues the excitement with the F2 Feature Race 2 at 7:55 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am. The main event, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, starts at noon, with the chequered flag and post‑race reaction scheduled for 2:00 pm, and Ted's Notebook wrapping up the coverage at 3:00 pm.
All of these events will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event. The 2026 Formula 1 season remains on a tight broadcast schedule, with Sky Sports F1 providing live coverage throughout the weekend. Viewers can stream the action via NOW, which offers a flexible, contract‑free subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
This accessibility ensures fans worldwide can follow the thrilling battles in Baku, where the combination of high‑speed straights and tight corners continues to test driver skill and team strategy alike.