George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting the fastest lap despite the fact that championship frontrunner Kimi Antonelli was forced to retire early due to a hydraulic failure. Russell, who currently trails Antonelli by 81 points in the drivers' standings, knows he must start closing the gap soon if he hopes to keep his title hopes alive.
His strong performance in Baku could be an early sign that the Mercedes driver is beginning to find the pace needed to challenge the leader. The British driver benefited from a significant slipstream effect generated by fellow competitor Fernando Alonso on his best lap, allowing him to edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and both Ferraris by roughly four‑tenths of a second.
Even before that optimal lap, Russell had already demonstrated impressive speed throughout the early minutes of the session, indicating that his car was handling the demanding street circuit well. Antonelli’s day, on the other hand, was marred by a mechanical problem. About 35 minutes of valuable track time were lost when his car suffered a hydraulic issue, forcing him to pull off the racing line and bring the car to a stop.
The setback means the Italian driver will have to start the second practice session on the back foot, trying to recover lost data and confidence before qualifying on Friday. Although Antonelli has enjoyed a remarkable run, winning the last two races, Baku remains one of the most challenging venues on the calendar. The narrow, high‑speed sections and the long straight through the city centre often produce unexpected drama, and the Italian champion is well aware that his 81‑point advantage over Russell – and a staggering 100‑plus point lead over both Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris – could be eroded quickly if he does not maintain reliability and pace. "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 set their best times on the medium‑compound tyres, signalling that they will be looking to fight for pole position in the qualifying session on Friday and, ultimately, the race victory on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull, meanwhile, introduced several new aerodynamic components for the Baku weekend, including an updated floor, revised side‑pods and fresh mirror designs.
Verstappen appeared very quick on the hard tyres early in the session, suggesting that the team’s upgrades are beginning to pay off. If you strip away the advantage Russell gained from Alonso’s slipstream, the front of the grid still looks competitive, with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari all appearing capable of challenging for the top step.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were positioned sixth and fourteenth respectively, both more than a second off Russell’s pace despite the fact that their cars have received aerodynamic upgrades aimed at improving performance on high‑speed circuits. Piastri at one point believed he had sustained damage to his chassis, but the team inspected the car and found no visible issues.
Norris, meanwhile, has yet to reveal his true speed, leaving the team hopeful that further improvements can be extracted in the remaining practice sessions. The team’s upgrades are largely focused on aerodynamic efficiency, which should benefit them on circuits that favor low‑drag configurations rather than the tight, twisty sections typical of street tracks like Baku.
Consequently, McLaren will have ample time over the next two practice days to refine their setup and extract more performance. Red Bull’s young prospect Isack Hadjar, who has already signed a contract to stay with the team through 2027, returned to the garage for the first time since July after missing the previous three race weekends with a wrist injury. Unfortunately, he also lost around 30 minutes of running due to an engine problem, limiting his ability to gather data.
Liam Lawson, back in the Red Bull junior team, made a strong start, launching from the blocks into seventh place, while his teammate Arvid Lindblad followed closely in eighth. Their early positions hint that the Racing Bulls are adapting quickly to the circuit’s demands. Esteban Ocon, whose future with Haas looks uncertain as the team is expected to release him after this season, managed to finish ninth in the session.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top ten, securing tenth place. Williams driver Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session. The incident cost him only a small amount of track time, and the team has introduced a substantial upgrade package for the weekend, which could prove beneficial later in the race weekend.
The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed: Thursday sees the start of F2 qualifying at 10:55 am, followed by the team bosses’ press conference and the second practice session for the Azerbaijan GP at 1 pm. Friday includes the F2 sprint, the third practice session, the F2 feature race, and finally the crucial qualifying session for the Grand Prix.
Saturday will host the second F2 feature race and the main Grand Prix itself, with the race slated for midday. The weekend will conclude on Sunday with post‑race analysis and reactions. 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 fans to cancel at any time.
Viewers are advised to use the Chrome browser for the most accessible video player experience. Overall, the first practice session in Baku has set the stage for an intriguing weekend. Russell’s early speed, Antonelli’s reliability concerns, and the various upgrades across the grid suggest that the championship battle will remain open, with plenty of drama likely to unfold as the drivers push their machines to the limit on the demanding streets of Azerbaijan.