George Russell emerged as the quickest driver in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while 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' Championship, must begin closing the gap to his teammate quickly if he hopes to keep the title fight alive.
His strong showing in Baku could be the first step toward that goal. During his fastest lap, Russell benefitted from a substantial slipstream generated by Fernando Alonso, which allowed him to edge out Red Bull's Max Verstappen and both Ferraris by roughly four-tenths of a second. Even before that lap, Russell demonstrated impressive pace throughout the session, signalling that Mercedes has a solid baseline for the street‑circuit.
Antonelli's day was cut short after about 35 minutes of track time when a hydraulic issue forced him to pull into the pits. The setback means he will start the second practice session on the back foot, giving his rivals a chance to gain valuable data while he works to resolve the problem.
The Italian driver has won the previous two races, but Baku is notorious for its demanding layout and unpredictable incidents, so Antonelli is mindful that his 81‑point lead over Russell – and the even larger margins he holds over Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris – could be eroded quickly if reliability concerns persist. "FP1 is the least representative session for Kimi," noted Sky Sports F1 analyst Jamie Chadwick.
"That’s a blessing in this case, but the bigger worry is why the issue occurred. We heard reliability was a talking point for Mercedes earlier, yet they seemed to have sorted it in recent races. The question now is whether this is an isolated failure or something more systemic." Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted their best times on the medium‑compound tyres, indicating they will be aiming for a strong qualifying performance on Friday and a realistic shot at race victory on Saturday afternoon.
Red Bull, meanwhile, arrived in Baku with a suite of new components, including an updated floor, revised side‑pods and fresh mirrors. Verstappen appeared particularly quick on the hard tyres early in the session, suggesting the team’s aerodynamic tweaks are paying off.
If you strip away the advantage Russell gained from Alonso’s slipstream, the front‑running order still appears to be a tight battle between Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified sixth and fourteenth respectively, both more than a second off Russell’s pace despite having received recent aerodynamic upgrades. Those upgrades are expected to benefit the team most on high‑speed, non‑street circuits, leaving Baku as a venue where they may still be searching for the optimal setup. Piastri at one point believed his car had sustained damage, but the team reported no visible issues.
Norris, on the other hand, has yet to unleash his full speed, hinting that the British driver could still improve his lap times as the weekend progresses. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who has been confirmed to remain with the team through 2027, returned to the track for the first time since July after missing three race weekends with a wrist injury. Unfortunately, he also lost roughly 30 minutes of running due to an engine problem, limiting his ability to gather data. This opened the door for Liam Lawson, who stepped into the Racing Bulls seat and launched from the start line in seventh place, with teammate Arvid Lindblad close behind in eighth.
Esteban Ocon, whose future with Haas looks uncertain as the team is expected to release him after the season, managed to finish ninth, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto secured tenth. Williams’ Carlos Sainz experienced a minor brake fire early in the session, but the incident cost him little time, and the team has introduced a significant upgrade package that could prove pivotal later in the weekend. The schedule for the remainder of the Grand Prix weekend is packed.
On Thursday, the day concludes with the second practice session at 1 p.m., followed by the F1 Show at 2:15 p.m. Friday features the third practice session at 9:30 a.m., the qualifying build‑up, and the crucial qualifying session at 1 p.m.
Saturday will host the race itself, with pre‑race build‑up coverage starting at 10:30 a.m. and the race kicking off at noon. All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and can be streamed via NOW without a long‑term contract. In summary, Russell’s early speed puts him in a strong position to challenge Antonelli’s lead, while the Italian’s hydraulic problem serves as a reminder that even the most dominant cars can be vulnerable on Baku’s demanding street layout.
With multiple teams introducing new parts and upgrades, the weekend promises intense on‑track action, strategic battles, and the ever‑present risk of mechanical gremlins disrupting the championship narrative. The outcome of the practice sessions will set the tone for qualifying and the race, where every tenth of a second and every reliability issue could shape the final standings in the 2026 Formula 1 season.