Mercedes driver George Russell set the fastest time in the opening practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Thursday, finishing 0.4 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen on the Baku street circuit. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was unable to challenge for the top spot after a hydraulic failure forced him to stop on track, leaving him fifth fastest and with significant ground to make up before the second session later in the day.
Russell's lap time of 1:45.387 came as he and his rivals began their weekend preparation on the 6-kilometre circuit. Verstappen finished second, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton claimed third and fourth positions respectively, both within 0.4 seconds of Russell's pace. Neither Ferrari ran the soft-compound tyres during the session as the teams pursued varied testing programmes to gather data early in the weekend.
Antonelli, who leads the championship by 81 points over Russell after 14 rounds, was initially the fastest driver in the early stages using the hard tyres. However, his session was cut short when he stopped at Turn One on his first attempt with the soft compound. Smoke emerged from the cooling vents on his engine cover as a technical report noted the hydraulics problem forced him to pull over just under half an hour into the running. He ultimately finished 0.878 seconds behind Russell and missed half the session, putting him at a disadvantage heading into the afternoon's second practice.
Who else made an impact in opening practice?
Oscar Piastri finished sixth, according to timing data from the session, ahead of Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad in seventh and eighth. Haas driver Esteban Ocon, who is fighting for his F1 future after confirming on Thursday that he is a free agent for 2027, finished ninth. The two Audi cars, both carrying major upgrades, rounded out the top ten with Gabriel Bortoleto ninth and Nico Hulkenberg tenth.
What technical issues affected the session?
Several drivers encountered problems during the 60-minute practice window. Hulkenberg stopped on track with a technical issue towards the end of the session, while Lindblad made an error at Turn Seven and stopped facing the barriers before reversing out and returning to the track. Russell and Verstappen both ran wide at different points, with the Mercedes driver missing his braking point at Turn Three and Verstappen doing the same at Turn One, both running through the run-off area.
What happens next?
The second practice session is scheduled for 16:00 Baku time on Thursday, 24 September 2026, giving Antonelli and other teams the opportunity to continue their preparation and gather more data before qualifying and the race weekend progresses. Russell's early advantage will be tested as teams refine their setups and drivers push harder with fresh rubber.
Russell's last grand prix victory came at the Austrian Grand Prix in June, when he claimed victory in a close battle with Verstappen and moved to second in the championship standings. His strong start in Baku suggests Mercedes has brought competitive machinery to the street circuit, though the afternoon session will provide a clearer picture of the true competitive order once all drivers have had the chance to run the softer tyre compounds.
