George Russell was quickest in first practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, heading Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.4 seconds. But the story of the session belonged to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who led the early running before stopping on track with a hydraulic leak and missing half the session.
Russell Leads the Way
Russell, who trails Antonelli by 81 points in the championship, set the pace with a best time 0.4 seconds quicker than Verstappen. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed in third and fourth, both just over 0.4 seconds off Russell’s pace and right behind Verstappen.
Neither Italian car ran the soft compound tyre as the teams completed varied programmes to start the weekend in Baku. That decision meant the early leaderboard looked different from the final one, with drivers who started on hard tyres showing faster early times before the session settled.
Antonelli was the fastest driver in the early running using the hard tyres.
Antonelli’s Early Lead
The Italian led the early running using the hard tyres, but his session took a sudden turn on his first lap on the soft compound. He stopped at Turn One, and smoke seeped out of the cooling vents on his engine cover as he slowed. The hydraulic leak forced him to miss half the session.
Antonelli will have some catching up to do in the second session later in the day.
The Rest of the Field
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad finished seventh and eighth in the session. Esteban Ocon, the Haas driver, was ninth, though he is fighting for his F1 career after admitting on Thursday that he is a free agent for 2027.
The Audis of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, which both have a major upgrade, rounded out the top 10. Hulkenberg stopped on track with a technical problem towards the end of the session, shortly after Lindblad had made an error at Turn Seven and stopped facing the barriers.
Lindblad was able to reverse out and get going again. Russell and Verstappen were other drivers to make errors, both taking to the run-off area when they missed their braking points, the Mercedes driver at Turn Three and Verstappen at Turn One.
What the Session Showed
The session demonstrated a field still finding its feet on the Baku street circuit, with teams running different tyre programmes and drivers making early mistakes. The varied approach meant the early leaderboard was not necessarily reflective of the session’s final shape, with hard tyre runners showing faster early times before the field settled.
Russell’s pace suggests Mercedes could be competitive at the front. Leclerc and Hamilton showed good form despite not running the soft tyres, sitting just over 0.4 seconds off Russell’s best time and right behind Verstappen.
The Championship Picture
Antonelli remains the championship leader, trailing Russell by 81 points. His fifth-fastest time was undercut by his mechanical issue, which cost him half the session. The championship leader will need a strong second session to get back into the fight.
The weekend continues with the second practice session, where Antonelli will look to recover the ground he lost today.
Key Facts From First Practice
- Russell fastest, 0.4 seconds quicker than Verstappen
- Antonelli fifth fastest but missed half the session
- Leclerc and Hamilton third and fourth
- Ocon fighting for his F1 career, free agent for 2027
- Bortoleto and Hulkenberg ninth and 10th
The session showed a field still finding its feet on the Baku street circuit, with teams running different tyre programmes and drivers making early mistakes. Russell’s pace suggests Mercedes could be competitive at the front, while Leclerc and Hamilton showed good form despite not running the soft tyres. The championship leader will need a strong second session to get back into the fight.
Source material: “Russell fastest in Baku as Antonelli stops on track,” the BBC.
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