George Russell made the fastest start to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend by topping opening practice in Baku, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli saw his session cut short by a hydraulic problem.
Russell posted a 1:45.387 to finish four tenths ahead of Max Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton fourth. Antonelli still managed fifth despite completing only nine laps.
Antonelli had briefly moved to the top of the timing screens with a 1:46.265 on the hard tyres. However, after switching to the soft compound, the Mercedes driver stopped at Turn 7 after reporting a loss of hydraulic pressure. His car had to be recovered under a Virtual Safety Car.
Russell later moved to the top on soft tyres, setting his quickest time with help from a strong tow down Baku’s long main straight. Verstappen finished second with a 1:45.787, while Leclerc was only 0.004 seconds behind the Red Bull. Hamilton was another 0.033 seconds further back.
The opening session was far from smooth for several drivers. Carlos Sainz suffered a rear brake fire, while Isack Hadjar, returning after missing the previous three races because of a wrist injury, complained about his brakes and later encountered an engine related issue. Oscar Piastri also reported significant brake vibrations.
Lando Norris had a quieter session after McLaren detected movement around the floor of his car. The reigning champion completed only 14 laps and finished 14th, while Piastri recovered to sixth after spending much of the session in the garage.
There were also several moments on the unforgiving Baku street circuit. Verstappen ran into the runoff at Turn 1, Russell went wide at Turn 3, and further Virtual Safety Car interruptions came after incidents involving Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hulkenberg.
Russell therefore leaves the opening session with the fastest time, but the picture remains difficult to read. Ferrari set their best laps on medium tyres, while Antonelli never got the chance to complete a proper soft tyre run.
For Antonelli, the priority now will be getting his Mercedes back on track and making up for the lost running in the next session as he continues his championship fight in Baku.
