Audi secures its immediate future, while a female trailblazer makes Formula 1 history.
After two practice sessions that were mostly dominated by Mercedes driver George Russell, we're getting a qualifying session on a Friday. But before we get into the action, let's look back at some of the on- and off-track happenings in Formula 1 yesterday.
Audi assures the future of its two drivers
There's no need for people to speculate about any changes that Audi will make to its driver lineup, at least until the end of next season. Audi CEO and team principal Mattia Binotto said that both Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg remain under contract for 2027.
Moreover, Binotto said that the team has been "happy" about the performance of their two drivers this season. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg have combined for 17 points so far, with an abundance of upgrades ready to help them bring the fight at Baku.
Aston Martin gets hit with a 45-place penalty
Both Aston Martin drivers will start at the back of the grid on Saturday's race. After introducing new power unit elements that exceeded their season allocation, Fernando Alonso will receive a 25-place grid penalty, while Lance Stroll will serve his own 20-place penalty.
It has been a tough start to the week for the Silverstone-based team. They obviously lagged in pace on Thursday, even finishing dead last in Free Practice 2.
Chadwick makes F1 history
During a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program session at Portimao, Jamie Chadwick became the latest female to drive a Williams F1 car since Susie Wolff in 2015. The current Williams Racing Ambassador completed 32 laps around the Portimao Circuit, helping the team gain valuable insights for F1's return to this track in 2027.
Chadwick has been an integral part of the Williams garage since becoming their development driver in 2019.
Audi, Red Bull, Williams all pleased with their upgrades so far
Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished the two practice sessions with a positive outlook, saying that the car's upgrades are working well on Thursday. Isack Hadjar, who returns from his injury layoff, mirrored Verstappen's sentiment, saying that the car actually feels stronger than when he last drove it at Hungary.
Meanwhile, at Audi, Binotto believed that their upgrades are working as expected. Audi, who are chasing Haas for seventh place in the Teams' Standings, brought the most upgrades to Baku with 14.
Finally, both Williams drivers left FP1 and FP2 with optimism. Alex Albon said that they're a "little bit more competitive", while Carlos Sainz Jr. sees it as a "step forward."
