Russell Leads Baku Practice
George Russell Tops Baku Practice While Kimi Antonelli Suffers Hydraulic Failure
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Russell set the session’s fastest lap at 1:45.387, taking four tenths off Verstappen’s benchmark; Leclerc finished just 0.0004 seconds behind Verstappen.
2
The Saturday race meant practice was moved to Thursday and qualifying was scheduled for Friday, an unusual timetable to accommodate a national holiday.
3
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar returned after missing three rounds with a wrist fracture, but reported severe brake pulling early in the session.
4
McLaren’s upgrade package was intended to improve the MCL40’s aerodynamic efficiency without sacrificing its existing performance strengths, but the disrupted practice made it hard to evaluate.
George Russell topped the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a fastest lap of 1:45.387, four tenths faster than Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver made the most of a disrupted session that saw his championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli break down with a suspected hydraulic failure, according to Newcastle Herald.
Brake troubles plagued the Thursday practice session, with Sainz's rear brake catching fire and Verstappen reporting severe brake pulling. McLaren introduced a major upgrade package for Piastri and Norris, but interrupted running made it difficult to assess the new aerodynamic efficiency gains, Armidale Express reported.
Russell's Four-Tenth Advantage Over Verstappen
Russell's 1:45.387 lap time put him comfortably ahead of Max Verstappen in second place. Charles Leclerc finished just 0.0004 seconds behind Verstappen, creating a tight midfield battle. Russell's commanding pace gave Mercedes an early advantage despite the session's repeated interruptions from mechanical failures and safety car periods.
Antonelli's Breakdown and Championship Lead
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli stopped on track with a suspected hydraulic problem, triggering a virtual safety car. Despite leading the standings by 81 points over rivals, Antonelli failed to log meaningful running time in the session, according to Southern Highland News. The Mercedes driver's mechanical failure left him unable to capitalize on the practice opportunity.
Brake Fires and Hydraulic Issues Disrupt Running
Multiple brake problems hampered drivers throughout the session. Sainz's Ferrari suffered a rear brake fire, while Verstappen reported severe brake pulling early on. Northwest Star reported that Red Bull's Isack Hadjar returned after missing three rounds with a wrist fracture but struggled with the same brake issues, making setup work difficult for the team.
McLaren's Upgrade Package and Disrupted Evaluation
McLaren introduced a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the MCL40 designed to improve efficiency without sacrificing existing strengths. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had interrupted running as the team evaluated the package, Farm Online noted. The disrupted session prevented a clear assessment of whether the upgrade delivered the performance gains McLaren was targeting.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
16
Articles
28
Reach
44
A
AnonymousAuthor
