THURSDAY PRACTICE INTELLIGENCE · AZERBAIJAN GP · SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
Russell Sweeps Baku Thursday as Antonelli Recovers From FP1 Failure
George Russell established the early benchmark at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by topping both Thursday practice sessions. Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli recovered from a hydraulic problem and additional garage time to finish second in FP2, while Max Verstappen placed third. The results put Mercedes at the front of the opening-day picture without settling the qualifying order.
Russell sets the benchmark in both sessions
Russell led FP1 with a 1:45.387, 0.400 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Charles Leclerc followed just 0.004 seconds behind the Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton fourth. Russell then lowered the benchmark to 1:43.347 in FP2, finishing 0.552 seconds ahead of Antonelli and 0.827 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Those gaps provide a strong opening-day signal for Mercedes, but practice programmes, tyre preparation, fuel loads and Baku's evolving street surface limit direct qualifying predictions. Friday's final practice will show whether rivals can narrow the deficit.
Antonelli recovers after a disrupted day
Antonelli's FP1 ended early because of a hydraulic issue. The problem also complicated Mercedes' preparations for FP2: the team changed his power unit after fire damage, keeping him in the garage for much of the second session's opening phase. Despite the lost mileage, Antonelli returned to record the second-fastest time.
Antonelli arrived in Azerbaijan with an 81-point championship lead after winning the previous race in Madrid. His recovery preserved a strong Thursday result, but Friday reliability and representative running remain important questions.
McLaren's upgrade test remains unresolved
McLaren's opening-day running was disrupted by floorboard problems on its upgraded car. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lost track time in FP1, and the team used a temporary repair to continue running in FP2. Norris finished sixth and Piastri eighth in the later session, both well off Russell's benchmark.
The disruption means Thursday's times cannot provide a clean verdict on the upgrade. FP3 is McLaren's remaining opportunity to gather representative evidence before qualifying.
Williams needs cleaner upgrade data
Williams also faced an interrupted opening day while evaluating its major Baku package. Carlos Sainz encountered a rear-brake fire in FP1; Alex Albon and Sainz ended FP2 in 16th and 17th respectively. The team needs uninterrupted Friday running before the package's competitive impact can be assessed with confidence.
Hadjar builds back into the weekend
Isack Hadjar returned after missing three rounds with a wrist injury. Brake concerns and a power-unit issue disrupted his FP1, but he recovered to ninth in FP2. That improvement gives Red Bull useful preparation time ahead of Friday, although one session cannot settle questions about his full-weekend pace.
Friday watch: qualifying preparation takes over
The immediate questions are whether Russell's advantage persists on representative low-fuel runs, whether Antonelli can complete a trouble-free session, and whether McLaren and Williams can finally evaluate their updates without interruptions. Baku's tight Old City section and long straights make confidence and setup compromise particularly consequential.
Next sessions: FP3 on Friday, September 25 at 12:30 Baku time, followed by qualifying at 16:00 local time. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday, September 26.
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Sources
Formula 1 FP2 report · Formula 1 FP1 report · Formula 1 Antonelli report · Official weekend schedule