George Russell delivered a powerful performance to claim victory in practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, edging out his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Maintaining the pace that earned him top spot in the first practice session, Russell set a benchmark around the challenging Baku streets, finishing roughly half a second ahead of the field.
Antonelli, currently leading the 2026 Drivers’ Championship fight by 81 points over Russell, endured a setback in Thursday’s opening session due to a hydraulic leak that forced his car to stop.
After an engine change, the Italian driver returned with just over 30 minutes remaining in the second practice period and vaulted to second place, ultimately finishing 0.552 seconds behind Russell.
Max Verstappen completed the early leaderboard in third, showcasing the upgraded Red Bull car’s potential while remaining about 0.8 seconds behind the leaders.
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The rest of the field lagged more than a second behind the leading trio, with Ferrari drivers and McLaren drivers filling the lower positions. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupied fourth and fifth places respectively, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top eight.
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Sky Sports F1’s Azerbaijan GP live schedule
Friday September 25
5.10am: F2 Sprint*
9.15am: Azerbaijan GP Practice Three (session starts at 9.30am)*
11.10am: F2 Feature Race 1*
12.30pm: Azerbaijan GP Qualifying build-up*
1PM: AZERBAIJAN GP QUALIFYING*
3pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Saturday September 26
7.55am: F2 Feature Race 2
10.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan GP build-up*
12PM: THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX*
2pm: Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan GP reaction*
3pm: Ted’s Notebook*
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Racing on a Saturday! The 2026 Formula 1 season continues live on Sky Sports F1 this week as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicks off a triple-header of races, with the Baku race taking place on Saturday at midday.
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