F1 Results Today: Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice times and positions… Read more

F1 Results Today: Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice times and positions

All the times from F1 Hungarian Grand Prix practice sessions on Thursday at Baku

 

George Russell set the pace in the opening free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but Mercedes endured a mixed start to the Baku weekend after championship leader Kimi Antonelli was forced to retire his car with a hydraulics failure.

 

Russell produced a fastest lap of 1:45.387 to finish at the top of the FP1 standings, giving Mercedes an encouraging indication of its pace around the demanding Baku City Circuit. However, the session was overshadowed by Antonelli’s early mechanical problem, which brought his running to an abrupt end after just 25 minutes and nine laps.

 

Antonelli entered the Azerbaijan weekend carrying the pressure of leading the Formula 1 world championship, with Russell among the drivers attempting to close the gap. The Italian’s inability to complete the majority of the opening practice session therefore represented a significant setback in terms of preparation.

 

While Antonelli watched from the garage, Russell took advantage of the opportunity on track and delivered a strong performance. His 1:45.387 was enough to put him 0.400 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished second.

 

Verstappen’s lap was particularly notable given the importance of slipstreaming around the Baku circuit. The long main straight provides drivers with a major opportunity to gain time by using the aerodynamic tow from a car ahead, and Verstappen’s fastest effort benefited from that effect.

 

Charles Leclerc put Ferrari into third position, just 0.004 seconds behind Verstappen. The Monegasque driver recorded a best time of 1:45.791, while Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton completed the top four.

 

Hamilton finished 0.437 seconds behind Russell, continuing what could become another closely contested weekend between Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. With the championship battle intensifying, the performance of the leading teams in Baku will be closely watched throughout the remaining practice sessions and qualifying.

 

Antonelli ultimately ended the session fifth despite his limited running. The Mercedes driver was 0.878 seconds off Russell’s benchmark, although his position provides little indication of his true pace because of the mechanical failure that prevented him from completing a representative programme.

 

Oscar Piastri was the leading McLaren in sixth, 1.011 seconds behind Russell. His team-mate Lando Norris, meanwhile, could only manage 14th. Norris was 1.594 seconds off the pace, leaving McLaren with mixed results from the opening session.

 

Racing Bulls enjoyed a strong FP1, with Liam Lawson finishing seventh and rookie Arvid Lindblad taking eighth. Lawson was just over a second behind Russell, while Lindblad ended the session 1.214 seconds off the leading Mercedes.

 

Esteban Ocon was ninth for Haas, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto in 10th as Audi continued its preparations for another demanding street-circuit weekend. Nico Hulkenberg placed 11th in the second Audi, while Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon finished 12th and 13th respectively for Williams.

 

Ollie Bearman was 15th for Haas, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Sergio Perez placed 17th on his return to Formula 1 action with Cadillac, with Franco Colapinto 18th for Alpine.

 

Fernando Alonso finished 19th for Aston Martin, while Isack Hadjar had a difficult return to the Red Bull cockpit.

 

Hadjar’s comeback came after a three-race absence following the wrist injury he suffered during the summer break. The French driver was among the first competitors to take to the track, but his session quickly became challenging.

 

Hadjar struggled with severe pulling under braking and appeared to be fighting the car through the narrow sections of the Baku circuit. With the barriers never far away on the high-speed street track, managing the braking instability was particularly important. Hadjar eventually finished 20th, 2.486 seconds away from Russell.

 

Lance Stroll was 21st for Aston Martin, while Valtteri Bottas completed the order in 22nd for Cadillac, 3.928 seconds away from the pace.

 

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is traditionally one of Formula 1’s most unpredictable weekends, with its combination of long straights, heavy braking zones and unforgiving walls creating opportunities for both performance gains and costly mistakes.

 

For Mercedes, the first session therefore offered two very different stories. Russell’s pace was a major positive, but Antonelli’s hydraulics failure will be an immediate concern for the team as engineers investigate the cause and work to ensure the championship leader can return to full running.

 

The competitive order also remains difficult to judge after only one practice session. Verstappen and the Ferraris were close to Russell, while Piastri and the rest of the field have plenty of room to improve as teams refine their setups.

 

With qualifying and the race still ahead, the Baku weekend has already provided an early warning that reliability could be just as important as outright pace in the battle for championship points.