George Russell was the fastest in both sessions this Thursday in Baku and closed the day with a 1:43.347. Antonelli and Verstappen completed the top 3 of a day marked by incidents, mechanical problems and several contacts with the walls.
George Russell was the absolute reference of the first day of activity of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver finished at the front in both FP1 and FP2 and closed Thursday with a time of 1:43.347, in an afternoon session in which Kimi Antonelli finished second at 552 thousandths and Max Verstappen third at 827. The times still have room to drop, but the evolution of the asphalt and the cars compared to the first practice was evident.
Baku once again showed from the start why it is one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar. The urban track presented little grip in the first minutes and several drivers had trouble finding the limits, especially in the narrowest zones. Russell managed to adapt quickly and set the best time in FP1, ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli completed the first positions, although the Italian had a session conditioned by a hydraulic problem that forced him to stop his Mercedes.
The first practice also left several mechanical problems. Carlos Sainz had difficulties with the brakes and his Williams even returned to the pits with smoke and fire in the rear area. Oscar Piastri lost time with problems in his McLaren, while Lando Norris also had difficulties that limited his running. The session allowed the teams to begin studying the behavior of the tires and, above all, the delicate compromise between top speed and aerodynamic load that Baku demands.
The track did not give too many opportunities to relax either. Verstappen and Russell had off-track excursions in FP1, while several drivers had difficulties in the narrowest zones. The urban circuit once again demonstrated that a fast lap depends as much on the speed of the car as on the driver's confidence to get close to the barriers.
FP2 had a very different rhythm. With more rubber on the asphalt and the drivers began to risk a little more and the different strategies made the times drop considerably. Russell placed himself at the front again with his 1:43.347, while Antonelli was second and Verstappen third. Practice 2 was far from calm. One of the first big moments had precisely Verstappen as the protagonist. The Dutchman was about to cause an accident when passing just eight centimeters from another car. Shortly after, Lance Stroll also had a small contact with the wall in the same zone in which Verstappen had had the scare.
The big incident came at turn 8, the famous castle zone. Arvid Lindblad lost control and suffered a heavy crash against the barriers, causing the first red flag of the weekend. The accident once again highlighted the low tolerance for error of one of the narrowest parts of the circuit. The driver was able to get out of the car, but the incident forced the session to be stopped for several minutes.
After the restart, the activity was again affected by a mechanical problem. Oliver Bearman had to retire quickly after his Haas suffered an engine failure, which caused a new yellow flag. The Briton had been able to complete FP1, but his day ended early.
The drivers' mistakes were also protagonists. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon had off-track excursions, while Lando Norris was another of the drivers who ended up touching the wall during the second session. The incidents did not cause another red flag, but they confirmed that finding the limit in Baku will be a delicate task throughout the weekend.
Lewis Hamilton, in addition, was noted by the stewards after a possible impeding of Liam Lawson. The incident will be analyzed after the session, so any eventual decision will remain pending from the stewards.
Mercedes, meanwhile, closed Thursday with an especially positive balance. Russell was first in both sessions and managed to be competitive both in the initial runs and in the qualifying simulations. Antonelli had a complicated FP1 due to his hydraulic problem, but was able to return strongly in the second practice and finish second.
For the championship leader, recovering kilometers was especially important after having lost a good part of the first session. Antonelli arrives in Baku after having extended his advantage in the championship even further with his victories in Monza and Madrid and will seek to maintain that trend during the rest of the weekend. Verstappen, on the other hand, finished Thursday third and once again showed himself close to Mercedes. The Dutchman is still looking for his first victory of the season and arrives at a circuit where he already knows what it means to win: he imposed himself in Baku in 2022 and did so again in 2025. His pace in FP2 allows thinking that Red Bull can still get closer to Mercedes when the teams begin to look for maximum performance.
The times should still be taken with some caution. Baku is a circuit in which the evolution of the track can considerably modify the order and where the differences between a clean lap and a compromised lap can be enormous. Furthermore, traffic will be another fundamental factor, especially in qualifying.
What Thursday left, however, is a first clear reference: Mercedes began the weekend with the best rhythm. Russell was the protagonist of both sessions and Antonelli regained ground after his morning problem. Verstappen finished close, while Ferrari and McLaren still have room to show their true potential.
Baku already delivered its first warning. The walls are close, the castle sector does not forgive and any small mistake can end in a red flag. Formula 1 will still have FP3 and qualifying before reaching the race, but there is an important particularity in this Grand Prix: the race will not be on Sunday. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will continue its activity this Friday, with practice number 3 and qualifying.
