F1, Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell Fastest in Free Practice 1; Antonelli Suffers a Breakdown

George Russell set the fastest time in Free Practice 1 at the Baku circuit, home of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The British Mercedes driver clocked a time of 1’45″387 (aided in part by a slipstream during the lap). Max Verstappen was second, four tenths of a second behind, followed by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc—four thousandths of a second behind the Dutch Red Bull driver—and Lewis Hamilton.

Many teams experienced issues during this first free practice session, particularly Kimi Antonelli, who—after just a handful of laps (during which he was setting a good pace)—was forced to stop his Mercedes due to hydraulic problems.

McLaren, too—with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—had to deal with a few setbacks. The papaya-colored team brought several updates to Baku. Carlos Sainz also had to deal with significant issues on his Williams.

It’s worth noting that, as far as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is concerned, the traditional schedule has been completely disrupted. The race will take place on Saturday, September 26, and, as a result, the entire schedule has been moved up by one day. Free Practice 1 and 2, in fact, have been scheduled for Thursday, a day usually dedicated to the drivers’ media day.