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George Russell leads both practice sessions in Baku

News›Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026

George Russell leads both practice sessions in Baku

RacingNews365+ 1 moreThu 24 Sep · 09:12 UTCupdated Fri 25 Sep · 12:44 UTCHave your say

Image via RacingNews365

The story so farNeutral summary generated from 2 sources

George Russell topped both free practice sessions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, showcasing a strong performance for Mercedes. He outpaced his team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who faced issues during the first session, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

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2026 season · round 16 next — Bahrain Grand Prix in MalaysiaSeason overview →

Andrea Kimi Antonelli302 2

George Russell236 3

Lewis Hamilton199

Teams 1MMercedes538 2FFerrari378 3MMcLaren306

Results Azerbaijan Grand Prix 1

George Russell 2MVMax Verstappen 3

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

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Andrea Kimi AntonelliMercedes 2

George RussellMercedes 3

Lewis HamiltonFerrari 4

Lando NorrisMcLaren 5CLCharles LeclercFerrari

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1MMercedes538 pts 2FFerrari378 pts 3MMcLaren306 pts 4RBRed Bull263 pts 5RTRB F1 Team83 pts 6ATAlpine F1 Team68 pts 7HTHaas F1 Team27 pts 8AAudi17 pts 9WWilliams12 pts 10AMAston Martin3 pts 11CTCadillac F1 Team0 pts

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First to report

Kimi Antonelli suffers smoky Mercedes failure in early Baku setbackNot the start to the weekend that Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes would have wanted.

RacingNews365Thu 24 Sep · 09:12 UTCRead their report →

George Russell tops Azerbaijan FP1 as Kimi Antonelli suffers Mercedes troubleMercedes driver George Russell led Max Verstappen in the first free practice at F1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Kimi Antonelli hit trouble. Russell's 1m45.387s lap, set with 20 minutes to go in the one-hour session, was comfortably enough to hold off the competition as his Mercedes team-mate disappeared from the session early, with Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc rounding out the ... Keep reading

Motorsport.comThu 24 Sep · 09:36 UTCRead →

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In this story

GRGeorge RussellFollow IgnoreCLCharles LeclercFollow IgnoreMVMax VerstappenFollow IgnoreAAAndrea Kimi AntonelliFollow IgnoreFFerrariFollow IgnoreMMercedesFollow IgnoreBCBaku City CircuitFollow Ignore

Related stories

Antonelli's Baku woes: 'Worst' weekend of seasonKimi Antonelli described the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as his 'worst' race weekend despite finishing fifth after starting from 16th on the grid. He gained 11 places during the race, but his teammate George Russell's victory reduced Antonelli's championship lead to 66 points with eight races remaining this season. Antonelli faced challenges throughout the weekend, including a hydraulic leak that disrupted his practice sessions. He acknowledged that he was not at his best during the race, opting for a conservative approach to avoid damage. Antonelli is looking to bounce back at the upcoming race in Sepang on October 4.

espn.comSat 26 Sep

Shock inaction over Baku's other F1 team-mate clash explainedDuring the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a collision between Racing Bulls team-mates Liam Lawson and Oliver Lindblad resulted in significant damage to Lawson's car. Despite the incident being investigated, the stewards decided no further action was necessary, attributing the collision to a chain reaction from a separate incident involving Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, and Lando Norris. Lindblad acknowledged the chaotic nature of the race restart and apologised for the clash, while Lawson expressed his confusion over the ruling. The stewards' decision has raised questions about the criteria used for penalising team-mate collisions, as Lawson indicated he would not protest against Lindblad.

the-race.comSat 26 Sep

Lewis Hamilton baffled by vital Ferrari issue amid underwhelming Baku showingLewis Hamilton expressed confusion over Ferrari's performance during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he qualified and finished in sixth place. Despite Charles Leclerc's strong qualifying position, both drivers faced challenges with race pace, leading Hamilton to question Ferrari's current standing among the teams. Hamilton highlighted his difficulties with tyre management throughout the weekend, stating that he struggled to get the tyres to switch on effectively. He acknowledged improvements in practice but noted that the issues persisted during the race, impacting their overall competitiveness.

Motorsport WeekSat 26 Sep

'I was driving like my grandma' - Antonelli admits to lack of confidenceKimi Antonelli, the current leader in the Formula 1 championship, expressed a lack of confidence during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, stating he was driving 'like his grandmother.' Despite starting from 16th due to a qualifying crash, he managed to recover to finish fifth, but his lead over teammate George Russell was reduced to 66 points as Russell claimed victory. Antonelli faced challenges throughout the race, including technical issues that limited his practice time and significant floor damage from contact with another car. He acknowledged that he had to adapt his driving style due to the circumstances, taking fewer risks and capitalising on mistakes made by other drivers. Looking ahead, he remains optimistic about the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.

Sky Sports F1Sat 26 Sep

Norris hits out after Baku pile-up DNF with AlpineLando Norris expressed his frustration after being taken out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to a collision caused by Franco Colapinto. Following the incident, Norris stated that there are drivers who do not belong in Formula 1, implying that Colapinto's actions were unacceptable. The crash occurred during a Safety Car restart on lap 36, leading to both Norris and Pierre Gasly retiring from the race. Colapinto acknowledged his mistake and accepted responsibility, apologising to his team and teammates. He received a 10-second time penalty, which will affect his grid position in the next race. Gasly, visibly upset, highlighted the significant points lost due to the incident, while also emphasising the importance of respect in their working relationship.

espn.comSat 26 Sep

6

MV

Max VerstappenRed Bull

Oscar PiastriMcLaren

Isack HadjarRed Bull

Liam LawsonRB F1 Team

Pierre GaslyAlpine F1 Team

11ALArvid LindbladRB F1 Team

Franco ColapintoAlpine F1 Team

Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team

Gabriel BortoletoAudi

Nico HülkenbergAudi

Esteban OconHaas F1 Team

17CSCarlos SainzWilliams

Alexander AlbonWilliams

Fernando AlonsoAston Martin

Yuki TsunodaRB F1 Team

Lance StrollAston Martin

Valtteri BottasCadillac F1 Team

23SPSergio PérezCadillac F1 Team

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