2026 Azerbaijan GP practice recap: Russell sweeps Thursday as Mercedes sets the pace in Baku

George Russell delivered the strongest possible start to the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, topping both practice sessions as Mercedes emerged as the early benchmark around the Baku City Circuit.

With Baku placing an unusual premium on straight-line efficiency, braking stability and electrical deployment, Thursday offered the first real indication of how the 2026 cars are coping with one of Formula 1's most extreme layouts. For more on those demands, see our 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix technical guide.

Russell takes control from the opening session

Russell was already the reference in FP1 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, producing a 1:45.387 to beat Verstappen by 0.400s.

The lap benefited from a tow along Baku's enormous main straight, but the margin and Russell's consistency suggested Mercedes had immediately found a competitive operating window. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed in third and fourth, with Ferrari setting its best FP1 times on the medium tyre rather than the soft.

Antonelli initially looked capable of challenging his team-mate. The championship leader went fastest on the hard compound before a hydraulic problem brought his session to an early end after around 25 minutes, leaving him fifth despite missing the second half of FP1.

It was only one of several technical interruptions. Carlos Sainz returned to the pits with his Williams' rear brakes on fire, Isack Hadjar suffered a power-unit problem on his return to Red Bull, and Nico Hulkenberg stopped late in the session.

Mercedes turns its advantage into an FP2 one-two

If FP1 hinted at Mercedes strength, FP2 made the message considerably clearer.

Russell lowered the benchmark to 1:43.347 on the soft tyre, finishing 0.552s ahead of Antonelli and more than eight tenths clear of Verstappen in third. Antonelli's recovery was particularly important after his disrupted morning, with Mercedes changing components before getting him back onto the circuit.

Verstappen remained Mercedes' nearest external challenger, although the Red Bull was not especially comfortable. The Dutchman complained that the rear axle was becoming unsettled enough to force constant corrections, an undesirable trait around Baku's walls and heavy braking zones.

Ferrari finished fourth and fifth with Leclerc and Hamilton, keeping both cars inside the leading group without matching Russell's outright pace.

Lindblad crashes again as Baku punishes mistakes

The defining interruption of FP2 came from Arvid Lindblad.

The Racing Bulls rookie clipped the barrier through Baku's notoriously narrow Castle section and suffered substantial right-side damage, triggering a red flag. It was Lindblad's second consecutive FP2 crash, following his accident at Madring one round earlier.

Oliver Bearman then encountered an engine failure shortly after the restart, while Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin running was restricted by a suspected oil leak.

Those incidents reinforced the fundamental Baku compromise explored in our Azerbaijan GP tyre and strategy preview: teams need low drag for the enormous flat-out sections without sacrificing the stability required through the Old City and slow 90-degree corners.

McLaren remains difficult to read

McLaren's opening day was less convincing.

Norris lost substantial running in FP1 and ended only 14th, while Piastri was sixth after the team dealt with floor-related problems. Both cars subsequently ran a temporary repair in FP2, where Piastri finished eighth and Norris sixth.

That makes McLaren's true pace difficult to establish, particularly after arriving with a Baku-specific aerodynamic upgrade package designed in part to improve the MCL40's straight-line performance.

Norris also showed promising pace before aborting one of his quicker FP2 attempts, leaving an obvious question over how much lap time McLaren still has in reserve.

Mercedes has the advantage, but Baku rarely stays predictable

Russell leaves the opening day with the cleanest scorecard: fastest in FP1, fastest in FP2 and seemingly comfortable across different conditions and compounds.

Antonelli's recovery gives Mercedes further encouragement, while Verstappen and Ferrari remain close enough to prevent any premature conclusions. McLaren, meanwhile, still has performance to uncover after a compromised programme.

At a circuit where track evolution is substantial, the walls are unforgiving and energy deployment down Baku's enormous straight presents a unique 2026 challenge, Thursday's hierarchy is unlikely to be the final one.

But heading into FP3 and qualifying, Russell and Mercedes have established the benchmark everyone else must now chase.