Mercedes sets the pace in Thursday practice at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, as George Russell tops both sessions and Kimi Antonelli impresses despite reliability setbacks.

Antonelli leads early on hards, then stops with a hydraulics fault. A power unit change restricts FP2 running, yet he places second with 1:43.899 behind Russell’s 1:43.347.

Andrew Shovlin cautions against headlines, noting rivals conceal pace on softs. The car balance appears predictable, with strong single-lap speed and promising long-run indication.

Red Bull battles brake issues in FP1. Max Verstappen stays in the top three in both sessions, logging a 1:44.174 in FP2 after early trouble.

Rookie Isack Hadjar suffers a power unit scare and a gearbox change. He rebounds with heavy FP2 mileage and ninth fastest. Pierre Wache reports upgrades delivering encouraging feedback.

Ferrari avoids soft tyres in FP1 and chases clean execution. Charles Leclerc edges teammate Lewis Hamilton in both sessions, with 1:45.791 and 1:44.473 to set the internal benchmark.

Both Ferrari drivers target gains overnight. Leclerc prioritises closing the Mercedes gap. Hamilton highlights tyre preparation as the key to unlocking balance and grip.

McLaren’s FP1 is scruffy. Lando Norris reports brake trouble, and Oscar Piastri loses garage time. FP2 lifts the mood: Norris takes sixth, Piastri eighth, as upgrades behave to plan.

Rob Marshall sees headroom in set-up and driver confidence. The objective is a more compliant platform into qualifying runs.

Racing Bulls splits fortunes. Liam Lawson shows promise in FP1 but drifts in FP2. Arvid Lindblad crashes hard at Turns 8-10, triggering red flags and truncating his mileage.

Lindblad apologises and targets FP3 laps. Alan Permane still talks up Q3 potential, praising driver feedback and collaboration.

Alpine executes a tidy programme. Pierre Gasly climbs to seventh in FP2, while Franco Colapinto advances to 11th after a cautious morning of system checks.

Steve Nielsen flags low grip and rapid track evolution, typical for Baku’s streets. The team will refine qualifying performance windows overnight.

Haas wrestles reliability. Esteban Ocon features in the top 10 in both sessions despite a brief pit-stop glitch. Oliver Bearman’s FP2 ends early with an engine failure.

Ayao Komatsu calls the pace encouraging when tyre prep is nailed, but stresses the need to stabilise reliability before qualifying.

Audi rolls out an extensive aero package, with flow-vis runs early. Red flags and conditions complicate FP2, leaving Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto chasing grip.

Set-up direction aims to recover stability on turn-in and traction over bumps.

Williams’ new chassis shows promise. Carlos Sainz suffers an early brake fire yet avoids damage. Both drivers slip in FP2 but remain within striking range after data review.

Cadillac manages brake temperatures better than rivals and trends upward. Sergio Perez climbs from 17th to 13th, as the team targets its first Q2 of the year.

Aston Martin’s day is steady yet muted. Running is trimmed given grid penalties for power unit changes. A suspected oil leak limits Fernando Alonso’s FP2 laps.

The team expects a fix and focuses on recovery drives from the back, as outlined in its Aston Martin penalties update.

Pirelli’s Simone Berra notes a dusty surface and escalating grip. Wear is low, with degradation offset by track evolution. Tyre preparation and management will define qualifying leverage.

Thursday running sets up an intense qualifying phase. Teams chase marginal gains on a low-grip track. For deeper detail, see the Azerbaijan practice overview.

Visual Summary

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.