In a sunny Baku morning, George Russell of Mercedes pulled away from the field to set the fastest time in the opening practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The 27‑year‑old, who has been a consistent threat to the championship leaders, clocked a lap of 1:32.345, edging out the rest of the field by a comfortable margin. The session saw a mix of high‑speed runs and strategic tyre choices, with Mercedes capitalising on the dry track to extract maximum performance from their car.
In contrast, Kimi Antonelli of AlphaTauri was forced to retire early from the session after a sudden hydraulics leak forced him to pull into the pit lane. Antonelli, who was running in the top ten before the issue, was unable to complete a full lap. The leak, which was identified by the team’s engineers, is believed to be a fault in the front‑wing hydraulic system that controls the suspension. AlphaTauri’s technical team is already working on a solution for the remainder of the weekend.
Mercedes’ success in practice comes at a time when the team is looking to cement their position at the front of the grid for the race. Russell’s pace, coupled with the car’s strong aerodynamic package, suggests that Mercedes will be a strong contender for a podium finish. The Red Bull and Ferrari teams, meanwhile, will need to address their own performance gaps as they aim to challenge for the top spots.
For Indian fans, the Azerbaijan GP will be available on FanCode, the official streaming partner of Formula 1 in India. The race starts at 6:30 PM IST, giving viewers a chance to watch the action live. Fans can also follow the event’s live commentary and updates on the official F1 app, which offers real‑time telemetry and team radio feeds.
Source: Sky Sports
